all-page by My Mobile

march 2015 ď Ź Rs 100

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make in india

what it really means

Tested

the phone for Ajay Devgn

lenovo A6000, Asus Padfone mini, micromax canvas hue, hp stream 8, sony smartband talk and more

phone of the month Xiaomi mi4

Editorpage

firstcall Make in India.

hose three words conjure up a wide vista of things for many people. Used with a negative

EDITORIAL

spin, it can hark back to the days of socialism

Pankaj Mohindroo |

when everything that came with an overseas

tag was considered evil. Used positively, as by our

Nimish Dubey | Associate Editor

Prime Minister, it takes on a very different meaning

Mukesh Kumar Singh | Assistant Editor

– one of possessing the werewithal and skills to be

Abhijit Ahaskar | Correspondent

able to do everything in one’s own land. In the era of

Trisha Dey | Content Writer

globalisation, in which the world is growing flatter by

Renu Yadav | Reporter

the day, Make In India does not represent a closed door

Saumya Nigam | Reporter

to foreign investment but instead a wide open one for endeavour that is based in and is made for the country.

DESIGN

But what does the Make in India initiative mean to the

Ajit Kumar Parashar | Sr. Graphic Designer

mobile consumer and industry? Well, that is what we

Pooja Papnai | Assistant Graphic Designer

are looking at in our lead story this time. Meanwhile, change remains constant in the mobile

Puja Mohindroo | Manager - Business

the deepest yet glimpse into the future of Windows,

Apoorv Bhatnagar | Sr. Manager – Marketing

when it gave us all a detailed look at Windows 10, for

Sandeep Kumar | Manager – Marketing

usual talk about interface tweaks and new features, but

OPERATIONS

the folk from Redmond had an ace up their very ample

K. Rajagopalan | Advisor-Legal, Accounts & Admin

sleeves – they actually showed a wearable. Speaking of change, when we started My Mobile ten years ago (has it really been that long? Time does fly), the thought of getting a top of the line smartphone for Rs. 20,000 would have been considered a pipe dream. Today, you have several options to choose from, and that too from some very reputed brands. We help you make up your mind on the best option in this price segment by comparing three competing devices – the Lenovo Vibe X2, the Huawei Honor 6 and the Xiaomi Mi 4. As always, we have done our best to review the latest and greatest devices in tech town. From the latest phone from Xiaomi to the most affordable 4G smartphone in the country to the fastest focusing camera in the world, you will find them all inthese pages. And there is more to come – March is after all, the month of the Mobile World Congress, where the who’s who of the mobile world will showcase their very best products. Needless to say, we will be covering it. Stay tuned. Needless to say, we look forward to your feedback, as always. Happy reading.

04 | march 2015

MA R K E T I N G

world (which is why we love it). Microsoft gave us

computers, tablets and phones too. Yes, there was the

editor-in-chief

Editor-in-Chief

Facebook facebook.com/mymobilemag Twitter twitter.com/MyMobileMag

Deepak Kohli | Manager – Accounts Sneha Sahu | Web Co-ordinator Pooja Sachdeva | Manager – HR

CIRCULATION Lalit Sharma | Sr. Manager – Circulation

ADVISORY BOARD Prithipal Singh S.C. Khanna S.D. Saxena Rajan Mathews T.R. Dua T.V. Ramachandran Shiv K. Bakhshi Sonu Halan Bhasin Bejon Misra Edited, published, printed and owned by Pankaj Mohindroo, Published from Flat No. 25, First Floor, Shankar Market, Connaught Place, New Delhi – 110001. Printed at HT Media Ltd. B-2, Sector 63, Noida. Distributed by My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. Copyright 2005. My Mobile is a registered trademark of My Mobile Infomedia Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form– electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, without prior permission.

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for errors and omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and the views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged.

Volume XI, Issue II, march 2015

MYMOBILE

content

40 Style Notes

10 letters

44 spice dream uno h

12 News

45 xolo omega 5.0

16 mobile Doctor

Burn Tests

32 versus 46 karbonn titanium We match three awesome

24 consumer

machone s310

phones that cost less than

forum

47 bloom globe 3.5 3g

Rs. 20,000 - the Lenovo Vibe

75 My Guide 18 Lead Story It could revolutionise manufac turing in the country

48 samsung galaxy note edge 52 lenovo a6000

tech super power. We take a

54 iball slide octa a41

initiative.

56 hp stream 8 58 asus padfone mini

64 exclusive A glimpse of the phone that defines luxury - the Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri 06 | march 2015

Xiaomi Mi4. Guess who won?

50 acer liquid e700

and make India a full-fledged look at the Make in India

X2, Huawei Honor 6 and

60 micromax canvas hue aq5000 62 xiaomi mi 4 MYMOBILE

What's Inside

contents face to face 26

Arnav Ghosh, Regional

Director, Blippar

Murli Retineni, Executive Di

rector, Celkon Mobiles

30 jargon buster We demystify MHL, one of the hottest connectivity options in tech town.

36 spot light One OS for all Windows devices. 38

apptastic

Worried about women's safety?

These apps could help.

40 Chief speak Ketan Patel, Director, Compu

70 smart Apps The official app for the ICC

ting Category, PPS, HP India,

World Cup 2015, Microsoft's

on why the company is betting

lock screen app for Android, a

big on tablets in India

new mail app and more...

42 just in Microsoft brings in the Lumia

72 mobile sensex The Lumia 1320 and the Sam

435, and Samsung unleashes the Galaxy J1

sung Galaxy S3 Neo remain awesome. And now are a lot more affordable too.

43 sneak peek Another dose of ZenFone by ASUS, and Sony readies the affordable Xperia E4

94 etcetera Amkette Super Slim Emer gency Power Bank, Sony Alpha 6000, Sennheiser Momentum

66 cell clues Power blues? We bring you five

In-Ear, Sony SmartBand Talk and more...

of the best power banks in town.

68 boredom buster WWE gets immortal, Baby gets a game, Disney's official cricket WC game and more...

75 08 | march 2015

68 Total number of pages = 100

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YU VS MI

YU YUREKA AND REDMI NOTE 4G: WHO WINS?

PHONE OF THE MONTH

YU YUREKA

ROCKING VEGAS!

THE BEST, BRIGHTEST AND CRAZIEST GADGETS FROM CES 2015

write about gadgets, but you

section the most. It gives

smartphone which could

also educate us about

me knowledge about various

take great pictures and also

investing our money wisely. I

music products available in

help me upload them fast. I

bought a smartphone which

the country. I bought the

read several issues of My

helps me in my both-

Zebronics portable speaker

Mobile and decided to buy

personal and official use,

based on your recommen-

the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro.

after reading about its Burn

dation and it is really good.

which is just awesome. -Karanjeet Chabra Ludhiyana

Test in your magazine. Keep

Bhopal

up! -Nikhil Sadhwani Ahmadabad

This is the second time that I am a student and hate

the team of MY MOBILE

reading any magazine

MAGAZINE. Hats off to you!

besides My Mobile. I buy it

I don’t need to search for

by saving my pocket money.

any content or information

It gives me knowledge about

regarding mobile gadgets on

the various brands available

the Internet as you provide

in the market and about the

the information in such a

best devices available at

simple and easy to read

various price tags. Last

manner. I would like to

month my father was

describe ‘our’ magazine in

looking for a phone for

one word...AWESOME!

himself. I suggested he get

-Saurabh Makode

Yu Yureka and made him

Via email

read your review. He was convinced and now he is

magazine. Great work by you guys! I’m a train driver by

I am a student and am very active on various social networking sites. I needed a

I’m giving my feedback to

Hi and Hats off to your

-Rashmee Kaushik

happy with the handset. -Malay Malhotra Meerut

profession and I snatch your magazine as soon as it hits

I am a working professional

the stands. Now I am

and love gadgets. I am a

subscribing for it. I request

huge music lover and like

you to mention the mAH

reading your Etcetera

Corrigendum In the February 2015 issue of the magazine, there were some factual errors in the review of the Vivo X5Max which appeared on pages 56 and 57: The phone was referred to once as ‘5XMax’, which is incorrect. The correct name is ‘X5Max.’ The display of the phone is a 5.5 inch one, and not a 4.5 inch one as mentioned. The processor of the phone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core 64 bit processor, and not a quad core 1.7 Ghz and a quad core 1.0 Ghz processor as mentioned. The phone runs on Funtouch OS 2.0, based on Android 4.4, and not on Android 4.4 with Funtouch UI as mentioned. The phone supports dual SIMs, and is not a single SIM device as mentioned. The battery in the phone is a Lithium Polymer one and not a Lithium Ion one. The phone does not use a Yamaha chip for sound. The errors are regretted.

(battery) of every phone wherever possible alongside the talktime/standby time as well, in your MY GUIDE section. God bless you All. -Gary Thoy Via email For all those who work for My Mobile, I would like to give a huge token of thanks because not only do you

10 | march 2015

e ave th

dh nes an

ream in a d ellpho c y e t k u o o st zy ab ew lines? an als n the late e a r c c d u n f o u hav o a Are y al to pen a for news our hands u think yo o y ti se poten have a no rave to lay t them? If y CV to r u le, c u Do yo e? Do you world abo . Rush you My Mobi in e in ou headl and tell th king for y your name o s o e o l to se gizm u, we are .co.in ine. o e y l i n b i o it az mym e mag team@ best mobil India’s

MYMOBILE

What’s Up

newsbits distance of approximately10

joining Micromax, Ashish had

meters.

worked at Sirqul as the Chief Technology Officer.

MobiKwik launches a new Windows Phone app MobiKwik, the mobile wallet service, has launched a new version of its Windows Phone Amitabh Bachchan named ‘Social Media Person of the Year’ by IAMAI Leading Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has been honoured with the ‘Social Media Person of the Year’ award by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). The award was offered to the superstar at his residence ‘Jalsa.’ An active user of social media, Bachchan has more than 10 million followers on Twitter, which is the highest

app, which it claims offers a faster checkout experience with saved cards and comes with bug fixes, an enhanced user interface and easily navigable design. The app is small in size and will work briskly even on relatively slow 2G connections, enabling user to park money in their mobile wallets and make online transactions in a simpler,

is priced at Rs.2,499 and is available through its online store. The company claims that Inspire is the world’s first 180 degree fully foldable wireless mouse with inflatable design which gives it the versatility to

offers 8,000 mAh Li- polymer battery and a MicroSD card slot which can support cards upto 128 GB capacity. The

Essot, a company sponsored by Bel Esprit Technologies has announced plans to launch products in four categoriespower bank charger case, charger and reader USB hub

Yo!M-25 comes in classic mosaic white color and has a year’s warranty. It has dual USB ports and a digital LED indicator for battery levels. An inbuilt

gives an elegant and stylish

likes on his official

Inspire, a wireless mouse which

e-commerce sites. The device

Hike and CricBuzz tie up for the 2015 World Cup

he has a staggering 18,893,970

Portronics releases Inspire, a wireless mouse Portronics has launched

leading retail outlets and

iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 cable

Bollywood, while on Facebook,

profile.

product is available at all

faster and hassle-free manner.

count for any celebrity for

plus

priced at Rs. 3,997. The

Essot Launches mobile/tablet accessories and computer peripherals

along with metallic back body finish to the power bank.

car charger, earphone/ headphone/ speaker and keyboard/mouse. The company plans to launch around 25

Super Slim power bank from Amkette Amkette has launched the

products under these categories

Super Slim Power bank which

through various channels.

Hike Messenger has partnered

is available at Rs. 1,395 in all

with CricBuzz, a property of

the leading retail stores. The

Times Internet for the World

power bank claims to be

Cup 2015, enabling users to

extremely thin and portable and

get the updated score, news

can even fit in the pocket or a

and analysis by Cricbuzz in

wallet easily. The power bank

their inbox in the Hike

has a capacity of 2500 mAh

Messenger app. A new chat

and is a mere 6.7 mm thick,

window will be added by the

allowing it to easily fit into one’s

name- ‘World Cup 2015’ and

wallet along with cards and

will be active throughout the

money.

by the next quarter and iwill attempt to attract customers

Lava Iris 465 with 21 Indian languages released at Rs. 4,499

World Cup till March 31. Users Ashish Agrawal appointed as Chief Technology Officer in Micromax

Lava has launched the Iris 465

notifications.

Micromax has appointed Ashish

from Lava with support for 21

Agrawal as their new Chief

Indian languages: Hindi,

Technology Officer. His role will

Sanskrit, Bodo, Nepali,

be to take leading technology

Marathi, Dogri, Tamil, Telugu,

left-handers and right-handers.

Lapcare launches YO!M-25, a power bank with storage Lapcare has unveiled the Yo!

initiatives for the company and

Konkani, Kashmiri, Bengali,

It is based on Wireless 2.4G

M-25, a power bank with

to bring future technology in

Sindhi, Assamese, Santali,

technology and can work over

support for storing data and is

the Indian market. Before

Oriya, Maithili, Manipuri,

be a full size mouse. The Inspire comes with a high-gloss finish with 5 level UV painting on the whole body and is very light in weight. It fits the user’s palm easily and is easy to use for both

12 | march 2015

should have the latest version of Hike app (relax, it’s free) on their Android devices to get the

MYMOBILE

What’s Up

newsbits Gujarati, Punjabi, Malyalam

Stellar 431 at Rs.3,499.

9,999 and is available

and Kannada.

Running on Android KitKat

exclusively on Flipkart.com.

The Iris 465 is a 3G device

operating system and powered

Coming with 5.5-inch HD

SIM

by a 1.0 GHz dual core

display, the Redmi Note 4G is

connectivity and comes with

processor, the Stellar 431 has

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. It

a 512 MB RAM and 4 GB

Qualcomm Snapdragon 400

sports a 3.5-inch display, runs

internal memory which can be

processor, runs on Android

on Android KitKat and is

expanded upto 32 GB via micro

KitKat OS, has 2 GB RAM and

SD card. The handset also has

comes with 8 GB storage, that

processor. The handset is

a 3.2 megapixel rear camera,

can be expanded using a

priced at Rs.4,499 and will be

VGA front camera and comes

memory card. It features a

available all across the

with a 1,500 mAh battery.

13.0 megapixel rear camera

supporting

dual

country.

and a 5.0 megapixel frontUber app to get Google Maps in India Uber has announced Google Maps integration for its iPhone and Android users. Google

enabled handset, the Mirror 3 in the Indian market. Priced at Rs. 16,990, the Mirror 3 is a dual SIM device which runs on Android KitKat 4.4. with Oppo’s ColorOS 2.0.1 UI. The device comes with a 4.7 inch HD IPS display and is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. It comes with 1GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage, which is expandable through a micro SD card. On the camera front, the smartphone has a 8.0 megapixel rear camera with Sony IMX179 sensor and f/2.0 lens aperture, and a 5.0 megapixel front facing camera. Making sure all this runs smoothly is a 2,000mAh battery. Spice launches Stellar 431 for Rs.3,499 Spice Mobile has introduced the a youth oriented smartphone

14 | march 2015

comes with Xiaomi’s MIUI interface.

way by showing the estimated

Microsoft unveils Lumia 435 Dual SIM at Rs. 5,999 Microsoft has launched another

pickup time taken by Uber

budget Lumia device, the

cabs, its fare, and travel time to

Lumia 435 Dual SIM in India.

the destination. If the customers

Priced at Rs. 5,999, the device

find everything to their

comes with a 4.0-inch display,

satisfaction, they can click on

runs on Microsoft Windows

the Uber card in Google Maps

Phone 8.1 and is powered by

and the app will directly take

1.2 GHz dual core Qualcomm

the user to the Uber app to

Snapdragon 200 processor. It

finish their booking.

also comes with 1 GB RAM and

Maps will let the users find their OPPO launches Mirror 3 at Rs.16,990 Oppo has released its latest 4G

facing camera. The device also

8 GB internal storage which Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G on sale without registration Xiaomi has announced that their Redmi Note 4G will not be sold with the flash sale mode and users can buy the handset without registering themselves at a website. The Redmi Note 4G is priced in India at Rs.

can be expanded upto 128 GB through a micro SD card. The phone comes with a 2.0megapixel rear camera and a VGA front facing camera and has a 1,560 mAH battery. For connectivity, the handset supports 3G, Wi-Fi, and

insights and analysis to this year’s World Cup coverage. Users will also

get an

opportunity to have a live chat with the South African legend. Cheers Devices introduces App Lite Cheers Global has launched its in-built app store APP LITE for their smartphones. The app is free and can be downloaded for all Cheers devices. It will enable users to download apps, books, music, movies on their smartphones, tablets, and other devices. This app store needs no e-mail registration. Micromax introduces Joy X1800 and X1850…in a pouch In an innovative packaging move, Micromax has released the latest devices in its Joy series - X1800 and X1850 – in a pouch. The phones come with features like FM radio, flashlight and alarm clock and are extremey affordably priced. The Joy X1800 is priced at Rs. 699

Bluetooth.

and Joy X1850 is priced at

Jonty Rhodes on Yahoo Cricket for the World Cup Yahoo India has appointed

come with a durable body, an

former South African Jonty

expandable memory and a

Rhodes on their World Cup

4.49 cm coloured screen. The

Analyst board for the coverage

Joy X1800 is packed with 750

of World Cup 2015, which will

mAh battery, while the Joy

be covered on Yahoo Cricket.

X1850 has a much larger

Rhodes will add his voice, deep

1,800 mAh battery. n

Rs.799. Both the handsets 0.08 megapixel rear camera, a dust-proof keypad, upto 4GB

MYMOBILE

Q&A

MobileDoctor

I want to buy a good phone from these three alternativesMicrosoft Lumia 1020, Asus Zenfone 5 and Samsung Galaxy Tab 1. Please suggest the best amongst the three. -Sameer Khan

of the lot, our vote would go to

going with the Samsung Galaxy

Both phones are very good in

the Lumia 1020.

S5 as it has an excellent Super

our opinion. However, in terms

AMOLED full HD display and

of pure software and hardware,

I want to buy a phone that

comes with a very powerful

we think the YU Yureka right

supports fast Internet browsing

processor, an excellent 16.0-

now has an edge over the

and has a HD camera. Please

megapixel camera and a

ZenFone 5. It has a faster

suggest a handset from the

heartbeat sensor as well.

processor, a bigger display and

brands- Samsung, Nokia and

However, if you are looking for

a 13.0-megapixel camera as

Microroft. My budget is Rs.

a phone that makes an impact

compared to the 8.0-megapixel

1,000.

through its design then we think

one on the ZenFone 5.

-Rajnish Bharti

that the very sleek HTC One E8

Significantly, it also runs on

I am afraid that there is no

has the edge. The Xperia Z2 is

Cyanogen, which is a very

device as yet that can meet your

the slightly odd one out in this

popular variant of Android and

requirements, as most devices

trio, but it too is a very formidable

gives you a lot of control over

with both a decent camera and

multimedia performer and is

the interface, letting you tweak

3G connectivity (which is a

dust and water resistant as well.

everything from launch

must if you wish to have fast

If budget is a major issue, then

animations to app icons to themes. As for the service, we

You have come up with a very

have learnt that YU will provide

interesting collection of devices.

service at your doorstep, so you

Not only are they priced very

do not have to worry about going

differently but each addresses

to a service centre for the same.

a very different need of the user.

All things said and done, we

In sum, if the budget is not an

think that at the moment the

issue, then we would say that of

YU Yureka is the better of the

the devices you have suggested,

two devices. That said, Asus is

the Lumia 1020 is easily the

set to launch the ZenFone 2

best in terms of performance

shortly in the Indian market and

and also has perhaps the best

that does have some very

camera even seen on a mobile

powerful hardware, although it

phone â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it comes with a 41.0-

is expected to cost more than

megapixel sensor. The Samsung

the ZenFone 5.

Galaxy Tab on the other hand is a tablet and is a very good

access to the Internet on the

Internet browsing) cost in the

the HTC One E8 is the best

move (if you do not have much

vicinity of Rs. 5,000.

option for you.

it as a laptop replacement to an

I want to buy a smartphone

I would like to buy a smartphone

extent). The ZenFone 5 is a

under the range of Rs.35,000.

under the range of Rs.10,000.

good option if you are looking

My options are Sony Xperia Z2,

Is Asus Zenfone 5 better than

Is your mobile phone acting strange? Email your queries at team@mymobile. co.in and our mobile doctor Arshdeep Singh will suggest remedies for your ailing device.

for a good smartphone on a very

Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC

Micromaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s YU Yureka? How is

Disclaimer: The

tight budget, as it delivers a

One E8. Please suggest

the battery life of both the

option if you are looking for a large display that gives you

typing to do, you can even use

decent 5.0-inch display, a 64-

-Guddu Kumar

handsets. Moreover, will

bit processor and an 8.0-

All three of the devices that you

Micromax Customer Care

megapixel camera for a price

have shortlisted are very good

service the device if there is any

that is under Rs 10,000. If you

ones. If the budget is not an

technical issue in Yu Yureka ?

are looking for the best phone

issue, we would recommend

16 | march 2015

-Anshul Yadav

views expressed by Arshdeep Singh are his own and do not necessarily coincide with those of My Mobile.

MYMOBILE

Limelight

lead story

Make In India

A Revolution This Way Comes

he electronics industry has witnessed

The Make in India initiative aspires to foster a culture

tremendous growth in the last decade with

of manufacturing, and in due course reduce the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

India emerging as one of its biggest consumers

growing dependence on imports of electronic goods. The

with an appetite that is growing very rapidly.

first challenge would be to convince the world that India is

Reports show that 65 per cent of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electronics

committed to manufacturing of electronics goods on a mass

demands are fulfilled through imports with mobile phones

scale and that the Government would extend full patronage

accounting for approximately half of this. The demand for electronics goods in India is expected to reach 400 billion US Dollars by 2020 and unless something is done about it, import of electronics would exceed the import of oil. A thriving manufacturing centre at home to meet the growing demand will not only plug the flow of bullion from India but will also thrust it on the world stage as a major producer of electronics. Which is where the Make in India initiative comes in.

What is Make in India? Manufacturing is a long term process, one that needs continuous support and patronage from all sections of a community. Renunciation by its patrons at any stage can be disruptive, laying grounds for a probable shut down. India has seen several companies open and shut their manufacturing facilities due to such reasons. What India lacks is a culture of manufacturing where regulations exist to encourage this culture and not to throttle it.

18 | march 2015

The Make in India initiative from the Government has attracted a lot of attention. But what really lies behind the initiative and what does it entail for the consumer and the industry? We take a closer look at Make in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile side. By Abhijit Ahaskar & Mukesh Kumar Singh

www.mymobile.co.in

Limelight

lead story

march 2015 | 19

Limelight

lead story to not just domestic but international brands as well. Speaking of the initiative, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Any foreign company that comes to India, invests in India and makes in India will get all benefits that an Indian company is entitled to.” Pradeep Jain, MD of Karbonn India feels that this is a timely step. “The demand of mobile devices is increasing and domestic manufacturing has not been able to match up to the ever-changing needs of Indian mobile market. The need of the hour is to boost manufacturing to save money by reducing imports and increasing the export of homegrown products,” he says.

We believe that manufacturing locally will enable better control in terms of quality standards, greater compliance of statutory requirements like SAR, RoHS, etc. in addition to more competitive pricing. As it has been seen, more and more of one’s life is now linked to one’s mobile devices. So getting more and more indigenous control of this sector is important for the overall development of India. −Jerold Pereira, CEO, Videocon Mobile Phones

20 | march 2015

Beyond good intentions The reaction of international players to this initiative has been positive. Kenichiro Hibi, MD of Sony India, says,“Sony is committed to the India market and we welcome the recent initiatives by the Indian government including allowing foreign companies manufacturing in India. While no decision has been made yet, initiatives like these have made Sony’s management enthusiastic about the prospect of looking at India as a potential manufacturing base.” The fact that a number of multi-national majors like Lenovo, Nokia, Dell, LG, IBM and Samsung are prepared to invest in domestic manufacturing, and investment offers worth Rs. 21,000 crore have already been received shows that investor sentiment is positive at the moment. Yuan Kang, CEO, Mobile Business, ZTE India highlighted the concerns of manufacturers from other nations in this regard. “Make in India presents a great opportunity for the Indian government to position itself as a manufacturing destination. Foreign investors have concerns regarding Indian law due to uncertainties. Regulations play a vital role for anything to work impeccably, so transparency in the law needs to be in place. While the Government has preferential marketing access to boost local manufacturers but it needs to have policies which will favour the existing foreign companies in India,” he pointed out. Kang’s point is a valid one. The role of policy makers and their relationship with the investors is very critical for a thriving manufacturing sector. The public-private partnership is going to be a major driver for it and not surprisingly, a lot of emphasis is being laid on it. Clearances, labour laws and taxes are important

MYMOBILE

Make in India: Some Highlights Ü Make in India was announced on September 25, 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi right before his US trip. Ü The logo of Make in India is a walking lion with a chip design on it. It is derived from the Ashok Chakra and reflects the conviction that the initiative is a lion’s step for India. The logo was designed by creative agency Weiden + Kennedy India. but for a sector that is yet to stand on its feet, the state has to offer some amount of protection and patronage, and these have already been put on track. Commitment to skill development, 100 per cent FDI in electronic systems design and manufacturing, reduction or exemption from basic custom duties on equipment

Limelight

lead story

Ü Key members of the Government have been engaging with manufacturers and investors in China, Japan, US, Australia, UK, South Korea as part of the initiative.

used in manufacturing of electronics, 25 per cent subsidy on capital industry on investment in any electronic system design and manufacturing for 10 years, and 50 to 75 per cent subsidy on development of infrastructure for manufacturing clusters are some of the polices that are meant to egg on domestic manufacturing. The Union Government has also allocated USD 2 billion under the Electronics Development Fund, to develop solutions which would then promote manufacturing of affordable electronics and services in the country. In addition, a basic custom duty of 10 per cent on import of specified telecom products that do not fall under the Information Technology agreement of WTO signed by India has ben levied. The agreement specifies duty free import of telecom and IT products in various categories, but it was discovered that a number of telecom products that did not come under any category were also being imported without payment of duty. Through this duty, the Government hopes to discourage importation. FDI, which is often used as a miracle drug to provide impetus through fresh investment, has also been given a boost. The recent FDI norms allow 100 per cent FDI in telecom and an investment allowance of 15 per cent to companies that invest 1 billion rupees in manufacturing units and machinery along with sector specific incentives like M-Sips in electronics and exemption from duty on exports.

Needed: partnership at all levels

Ü LG, Dell, Lenovo, Foxconn, Nokia, IBM, GE and Lite On are some of the key manufacturers who have committed themselves to the initiative. Ü A dedicated cell has been rolled out on the newly created Make in India website to answer all business and investment related queries within 72 hours. Ü One of the exhibits at this year’s Republic Day Parade was a working model of the Make in India Logo showcasing the significance of the initiative for the country. Ü The first Electronics Manufacturing Clusters under the initiative will come up around Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bhopal, Jabalpur and Kochi.

Local manufacturing depends as much on patronage of state

www.mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 21

Limelight

lead story governments as on the support of the Union Government. And

Technology) is working on developing these skill sets for the

state governments have been stepping forward to make the most of

sector. It has already set up Electronics Sector skills council and

this initiative. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh have

Telecom Sector skills councils with the objective of turning out

showed their interest in it. The Uttar Pradesh government recently

more PhDs in Electronics and IT; is opening more academies

signed a MoU with the Indian Cellular Association to facilitate

for ICT to provide specialized training to faculties of engineering

investment of Rs. 1,000 crore in electronics manufacturing

colleges, science colleges and polytechnics; has started special

clusters. ICA will encourage its member companies, which

manpower development programs for chip designs; and is creating

includes leading telecom operators and mobile phone companies,

an ecosystem for facilitating skill development for 3,28,000

to set up their projects in the proposed EMCs and help them by

individuals in ESDM sector by 2018.

getting clearances from the government.

One of the downsides of technical training in India is the gap

Spice Group too signed a Memorandum of Understanding with

between institutional training and the actual requirement of the

the government of Uttar Pradesh for setting up a manufacturing

industry. Recently, IESA (Indian Electronics and Semiconductor

unit in the state. Dilip Modi, chairman, Spice Group, said, “We

Association) signed an MoU with ESSCI (Electronics Sector Skills

are delighted to announce our investment plans to set up a mobile

Council of India), Visvesvarya Technological University and RV-

manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh with the support of the

VLSI Design Centre to close this gap between training and the

Government of Uttar Pradesh. With a local manufacturing plant,

industry. The agreement with Visvesvarya Technological University

Spice Group can achieve its vision to create affordable and high

and RV- VLSI Design centre is expected to bridge this gulf by

technology mobile products for a larger audience.”

offering courses and programs that would serve the requirements

The role of skill development Electronic system design and manufacturing is a very skill intensive sector. DIETY (Department of Electronics and Information

of the industry better. The collaboration with ESSCI will center on training students in semi-conductor and embedded design.

Ecosystem and labour law issues “We can clearly see the advantage of manufacturing here. We don’t lack skills, what we lack is the ecosystem, chipset manufacturers and camera modules,” says Rahul Sharma, the co-founder of Micromax, a company that has been manufacturing phones in India for a while. His concerns are not unfounded. Not enough has been done to encourage equipment manufacturing in India, compelling mobile and other electronics brands to rely on China, where flexibility is high and every component that goes into a product is available. The Government expects to address this issue by establishing electronic manufacturing clusters. Stakeholders and mobile companies are in talks with various state governments to set up these clusters. The pomp and show with which the Make in India initiative has been launched has encouraged not just mobile brands but has also led equipment manufacturers

22 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

Various components for building a handset like the camera, chipset, memory modules etc. are usually imported. In order to manufacture a phone in India, we need the entire ecosystem to be present in the country. A boost to local manufacturing can help save foreign currency by reducing imports and earn it by exporting the locally made products. −Manish Sharma, MD, Panasonic India

is that it lacks a culture of research and development. The Indian Government spends only 0.09 per cent of the GDP on research and development, whereas China spends 1.84 per cent and USA expends 2.79 per cent on it. The new Government at the centre has often emphasized the importance of R&D but without investment from private sector and backing from the state, the situation is not likely to change. Also, very little innovation has been seen in applications. India pales in comparison to China, which has more than 200 Android apps stores alone, when it comes to app development.

Why domestic manufacturing matters!

Limelight

lead story

Importing is not a viable alternative for a country like India, which ranks among countries with the highest unemployment rates in the world. Also, cost of labour is cheaper in India as compared to China and this might help it in the coming years. “Importing products from China is not very cost effective in the long run, considering the significant latent and growing demand in India. In recent years, labour costs in China have seen a drastic upward trend and hence even big manufacturing outfits in China are looking at shifting operations to low cost manufacturing countries like India and Vietnam,” adds Prashant Bindal, CEO, Spice Mobility. Importing is considered an easy and risk free business for most brands. For a US or British company, it is more practical to outsource production but for companies based in India it is a waste of opportunity to become a self sufficient brand, one which has control over every aspect of the business- supply chain management, availability of devices, production cycle and customization needs. Debasis Chatterji, CEO, Netxcell, says “There will be multifold impact of manufacturing in India. Firstly, we will save valuable foreign exchange. Secondly, we will be independent of the erratic supply schedule from the foreign countries. Thirdly and most importantly, our security concerns will be addressed as the entire process will be run in-house. Hence we will have better control on

to come up and commit themselves to the cause. Labour in India is more cost effective than it is in China but labour laws in the country tend to be complicated. Not only they can be restrictive but can have serious implications for the whole initiative, if not handled carefully. Keshav Bansal, director, marketing, Intex Technologies, says, “Amending and simplifying labour laws is mandatory to expedite the manufacturing process. A concession would give the government an edge to call in more and look more attractive.” The government has proposed a number of reforms in these areas but it will not be easy to implement them, given the strong and vocal union culture that exists in the country. Their passage is going to play a very important role if India has to develop itself as a major electronics manufacturing hub. One of the reasons why India lacks a culture of manufacturing

www.mymobile.co.in

the quality and security aspects.” The right environment for doing business is important and the government has to ensure that, so that those willing to do so can undertake production and manufacturing in the country itself instead of looking to foreign shores. Many of the existing brands would be familiar with the conditions because a number of them have done manufacturing here or have manufacturing facilities in different parts of the country. Samsung Z1, which runs on Tizen OS, has been manufactured in India at their Greater Noida plant. Nokia’s affordable line of Asha handsets was also manufactured at their Chennai plant. And Micromax has a manufacturing facility at Dehradun. Make in India is not a pipe dream, but it is up to the State and the private sector to work in tandem to make it a reality. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in mukesh@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 23

Your Voice

consumerfroum Complaint-1

I have a complaint against

BSNL UP-West. I live in Adarsh Colony, Muzaffarnagar. There is a 3G BTS tower next to my house, but the signal for 3G doesn’t reach my home. Due to this problem, I decided to call the AGM, DGM and various other officers of BSNL Muzaffarnagar. They only gave excuses, like “We don’t have a vehicle and without that we cannot come.” It has been more that 3 months now. Through My Mobile, I would like to inform everyone that BSNL is one of the laziest and irritating Indian telecom service providers. Their signal is the worst and their 3G network works like 2G network. - Abhishek Sharma BSNL’s Response: Awaited

period got over without my gadget getting repaired. I want the company to return my money our replace the gadget. -Akanksha Singh M i c r o m a x ’s

Response:

Awaited

Complaint-3

I have been following up the HTC Repair Order Status –

the above device will be over soon and till now I do not have any clue regarding its replacement. Please give me some relevant feedback when the motherboard replacement of the unit is possible. -Karishma Jain HTC’s Response: Awaited

Complaint-4

This is regarding the problem with my NOKIA Lumia 730

-Sriman Nanda Microsoft’s Response: Awaited

Complaint-5

I bought a Micromax Unite 2 (8GB) and it stopped working after 8 days. When I took it to the service center, the representative informed me that there is a software problem, which will be rectified the same day. I had to visit the centre more than 10 times. After a month, the service centre representative told me that the motherboard had to be sent to the company, and will be back after 2 months. The service centre people have been making me run unnecessarily. I want to lodge a complaint with you.

Complaint-2

I purchased a Micromax Funbook Talk Tab P360 on 24th November 2013 with a warranty of 1 year. Just after 1 month of purchase, it started hanging and the battery used to end up too soon within an hour of usage. We gave it to the service centre and it was returned after 2 months. Again, after sometime it started having the same problem. As usual, we went to the service centre. After keeping the tab for atleast 1 month they informed us that we have to pay money to get it repaired, even under the warranty period. Anyway, we agreed. After keeping it for almost 3-4 months they refused to repair it, saying that it was non-repairable and they returned us the gadget when the warranty period was over, in 2014. Due to this casual attitude from the service centre, my warranty

24 | march 2015

store claimed it would get the handset repaired within 15 days, but after several visits they returned my phone without repairing it. I again visited the store and complained about the same problem. But again did not get a satsifactoiry response. I request you to solve the problem or else will take a legal action against the company.

-Atul Nishad 14INA330016495 – for the last two months and visited the HTC Centre at Ameerpet in Hyderabad many times but I did not get any positive revert from their customer support team. Every time I went to the service centre, they informed me that the device is not available and will be available by the next week. I am sick of visiting the centre and calling them again and again. This is an unprofessional attitude which was never expected from HTC. The warranty of

which was purchased on 0811-2014 with invoice no-371 from Accessory Café located in Bhubaneswar. The phone restarts again and again and after 3 days of purchase, the phone stopped working properly. Due to this problem I visited the Nokia Store and there I was told that “A SOFTWARE ERROR” was repaired. But then after some days the problem occured and again I visited the store and complained. I was given a complaint ID No-i.e-6443 dated 24-11-2014. The

M i c r o m a x ’s

Response:

Awaited

Are you being harassed by a Telco that doesn’t hear your plea? Email your issues to consumer-forum@my mobile.co.in and we will take up your cause with the concerned company. Kindly mention your contact number at the end of the Email so that we can get in touch with you. Whenever possible, also provide us complete details of the correspondence with the Telco.

MYMOBILE

In Conversation

face to face

“We Are An Engagement Platform”

How big is Blippar as a platform in terms of the total number of users and its impact? In terms of size, we have 50 million plus global users. When it comes to impact, we almost power campaigns for all big brands like Pepsi, Coke, Pizza Hut and major media publishers like New York times, and CondeNaste. Our approach was never to present Blippar as an amazing technology to bring a video to life off a print advertisement. We felt it has to be relevant in that consumer journey. We consume Coke, but how many of us ever go to their website? We have created a concept where the product is your media and not your website. Why would a consumer Blip about a product that is part of their daily lifestyle? How are you going to keep them engaged? See, the content has to be refreshed. You cannot give the consumer the same content, so every week the Jukebox changes. Consumers would come back if the content and experience they are getting is different. It is true for any platform, even on a website the content has to be refreshed regularly. It takes a little time for gestation as you cannot flip the content every day. You need to have a content plan and our advantage is that it allows you to blip off any surface or medium. Are you working on offering Blippar pre-loaded on smartphones? What we don’t want to do is to pay and get installs done. In smartphones, we have seen embedded content but if people don’t use it there is no point in offering it. We are not a reach platform, we are an engagement platform and our critical mass is the people who converse with you. The way search works is that every time someone creates content it gets indexed. Our vision is somewhat similar: every time you are creating content in digital or physical world, you can make it blippable by dragging the source file

Unlike any other Augmented Reality brand, Blippar sees itself as a visual browser offering engaging content around products of everyday use on smartphones and even wearables. We met Blippar’s Regional Director Arnav Ghosh to find out more about this platform and the technology.

and putting it on the Blippar UI.

By Abhijit Ahaskar

doable. We need to educate people on how it works. n

26 | march 2015

How good is the Blippar experience with low configuration handsets on a 2G network? When the Web was at its infancy people use to create high bandwidth websites and low bandwidth websites. We are doing something similar by creating blips for a lighter data packet and high-end blips with rich media experience for higher data packets. Even Facebook has 27 different versions optimized for different phones. So we are creating data packets for different kind of blips. We are also creating new content delivery network to optimize it for 2G networks. How has augmented Reality evolved over the years? If you are an Augmented Reality platform you need to break the mould in terms of what value it gives back to products and brands. I think that is where the evolution has happened. Also, from a tech point of view it has evolved because devices supporting it have evolved, people’s ability to think what you can do with Augmented Reality has evolved, the kind of content you can create, the opportunity available to brands and publishes to educate consumers has evolved. What has not shifted is the perception about it. Consumers and brand still confuse it with Virtual Reality. They have ideas that are not abhijit@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

face to face

“We Are Currently One of the Top Five Indian Brands” Celkon has been making its presence keenly felt in the indian market. We met Murali Retineni, Executive Director, Celkon Mobiles, to find out more about the brand and its plans. By Mukesh Kumar Singh What is your current position in the India market? We have witnessed

in the celebrity cricketing leagues in India. These branding

significant growth in the last few years thanks to our innovative

initiatives have brought a significant recall to our brand and we

products. We are currently one of the top five Indian brands.

will continue to participate and sponsor events that add recall value to our brand.

In the last couple of years, the smartphone market has seen tremendous growth. What are your future expectations? The

Speaking of celebrities, we haven’t seen your brand ambassador

smartphone market in India is an exciting space to be in, it

Virat Kohli in Celkon ads for a long time... Virat’s engagement

is considered to be the fastest growing market in the world.

with Celkon was for a limited time frame. We currently have

There has been a shift in demand moving from feature

Tamannah as our brand ambassador.

phones to smartphones. Currently we sell close to 2,00,000 smartphones every month. We were the first to bring ultra-low

Celkon is still associated with affordable smartphones. How has

priced smartphones like the A35K and intend to continue this

the arrival of new brands affected the market and your own share

through innovation. Our current portfolio ranges from Rs. 2,000

of it? The mobile industry is probably one of the fastest growing

to Rs. 10,000.

industries today. There will always be new entrants and tough competition. As long as we focus on the consumer, bring out the

What is your stand on the “Make in India” initiative? We are in

offering to our consumers through innovation, we will continue

the process of evaluating what the initiative carries for players

to be in the race. While we do not undermine the competition,

like us. Our decision will be based on what comes out of the

we are confident of retaining our current market share and

evaluation

continuously grow it.

How has been the response to your Windows Phone based

What about your after sales service? This has been an area of focus

Smartphone? Windows Phone as an OS on the Mobile caters

for us in the last year. We have developed an exhaustive service

to a niche segment of customers. The demand for Windows

network panning across the country with over 800 authorized

Phone based smartphones is limited to this segment and hence

service centres.

in terms of numbers they are short of the volumes we do on Android.

What can we expect from Celkon in the coming year? We strive to bring the best technological innovations at the best price

Celkon gained a lot of media attention because it sponsored a

to our consumers. You can expect to see a lot of models with

number of sporting events. How significant are such tie ups in

outstanding features, excellent performance and the best

building a brand? We have done a lot of branding activities in

specifications at an affordable price in the coming year. n

the past and will continue to do so. We also do a lot of activity 28 | march 2015

mukesh@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

The Future is HERE ! A-note Quad Core Processor

8 13.97 cm (5.5"), LCD screen, QHD with IPS 8 Android OS 4.4.2 Kitkat

Android 4.4.2

8.0MP Camera

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For trade enquiries please contact: Pancham : +91 - 9910519494, email: info@adcomhitech.com

Dictionary

jargon buster

MHL: Mobile Hi-Definition Link W

hen it comes to connecting your phone to a larger display

MHL cable actually recharges your phone even as it transmits data

(a monitor or a television) device, most people think of

from it to the television or monitor.

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and HDMI. But there is another, extremely

In terms of video and audio quality too, MHL is extremely well

powerful option. And one that involves no fiddling around with

endowed. It comes with support for upto 8K video resolution (in the

settings or entering passwords. All that you need is a cable from

case of Super MHL) and for Dolby Atmos. You can actually watch a

your phone to your television and you will be underway.

film in all its glory on a larger display, complete with sound effects, just by connecting your phone to a television.

That is the power of MHL, or to use its full form, Mobile Hi-Definition

And what do you need to get it? Well, in most cases nothing

Link.

more than a simple MHL cable, if the display to which you

What makes it better than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, some might ask?

are connecting your device supports MHL. Even if it does not,

Well, unlike in those options there is absolutely zero lag, making

all you need is a MHL to HDMI adaptor which you can connect

it perfect for presentations and large screen gaming. You can

to the HDMI port on the monitor and television. A number

also control the action using the TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s remote and not worry about

of phones and tablets these days are released with MHL support,

hanging on to your phone all the time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you can even navigate apps,

so in all probability, all you will need is a cable. No apps, no

music and games from the remote. And believe it or not, you do

downloads. n

not have to worry about the battery life on your phone because the

30 | march 2015

nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

Face-Off

versus

The Sub-Rs. 20,000 Super Phone Battle All three offer powerful processors, lots of RAM, brilliant full HD displays and compact designs for less than Rs. 20,000. But which of this awesome threesome: the Huawei Honor 6, the Lenovo Vibe X2 and the Xiaomi Mi 4, is the one for you? We attempt to find out. By Nimish Dubey

lenovo vibe x2

32 | march 2015

huawei honor 6

MYMOBILE

forward to the present day and age, and you would be

layers on its sides. The glass front and back of the Honor 6 put

amazed at the number of choices you have at that price point,

it second, while the Mi 4 comes third even though it feels the

and that too from renowned brands that command significant

most solid of the three with its metallic frame. However, it is

respect in the international market. Consider the freshly launched

not as eye-catching as the other two and at 8.9 mm is also the

Xiaomi Mi 4, the Lenovo Vibe X2 and the Huawei Honor 6. Each

most thick of the three (the Vibe X2 is a mere 7.3 mm, while the

boasts excellent design and very good hardware. Each is a very

Honor 6 is 7.5 mm).

good performer. And each costs under Rs. 20,000 – at the time

Ranking: 1. Lenovo Vibe X2 2. Huawei Honor 6 3. Xiaomi Mi 4

year ago, getting a top notch device with cutting

of these phones are very compactly designed. However, we think

edge hardware for less than Rs. 20,000 would have

that the Vibe X2 is the most likely of the three to grab attention

been considered to be the stuff of tech dreams. Fast

because of its layered design which combines different coloured

of writing, the Xiaomi Mi 4 was retailing for Rs. 19,999, the Huawei Honor 6 for Rs. 17,999 and the Vibe X2 for Rs. 19,999.

Hardware

But which of the three is the best for you? Well, that is what we

The battle between the three is a bitter one here. All three come

have tried to work out in our versus section this time, where we

with 5.0-inch full HD displays, and have 13.0-megapixel rear

pit the Vibe X2, the Xiaomi Mi 4 and the Huawei Honor 6 against

cameras. The processors on all three are from different families

each other.

– while the Xiaomi Mi 4 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801

Face-Off

versus

processor, the Huawei Honor 6 comes with an octa core Hi Silicon

Looks

Kirin processor, and the Vibe X2 sports the MediaTek6595 true

This is going to be really a matter of preference, as all three

octa core processor. However, both the Mi 4 and the Honor 6

devices are reasonably sleek and good looking. It is also notable

comes with 3 GB of RAM against 2 GB on the X2. The Vibe X2

at a time when phone sizes seem to be bulking insanely, all three

has the most onboard storage – 32 GB as against 16 GB on the other two devices – but the Honor 6 is the only one of the three to have expandable memory. In connectivity, the Vibe X2 and the

xiaomi mi4

Honor 6 come with 4G support while the Mi 4 is a 3G device, but the Vibe X2 supports dual SIMs, while the other two have single SIMs. All three have 13.0-megapixel rear cameras, but the Mi 4 has an 8.0-megapixel front facing camera while the Vibe X2 and the Honor 6 have 5.0-megapixel ones. The Honor 6 has a 3,100 mAh Lithium Polymer battery, while the Mi 4 has a 3,080 mAh Lithium Ion one, and the Vibe X2 trails in with a Lithium Polymer 2,300 mAh battery. Honestly, this one is going to be a very tough call to take, but we think that the battle here narrows down to between the Mi 4 and the Honor 6. Those valuing cameras and big brand processors will like the Mi 4, while those looking for expandable memory and 4G connectivity will opt for the Honor 6. We will narrowly give this one to the Mi 4. Very narrowly. And while pointing out that the device that finished third actually is the only one of the three to have dual SIM connectivity and also the most onboard storage. Ranking: 1. Xiaomi Mi 4, 2. Huawei Honor 6, 3. Lenovo Vibe X2

Software If hardware was a close battle, the software one is very much one-sided. Although all the devices run Android KitKat, the Mi 4 scores with its beautifully crafted MIUI 6 interface which is among the best Android UIs we have seen. Huawei’s EMUI 2.3 comes second, with the relatively straightforward Vibe UI of the X2 bringing up the rear. Ranking: 1. Xiaomi Mi 4, 2. Huawei Honor 6, 3. Lenovo Vibe X2

www.mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 33

versus

Face-Off

Multimedia

it edge out the Honor 6 in the final stakes.

Once again, the Mi 4 stamps its authority in this section. It by far

Ranking: 1. Xiaomi Mi 4, 2. Huawei Honor 6, 3. Lenovo

has the best cameras of the three devices, both front and back,

Vibe X2

and scores on sound quality too. Although all three phones have displays of similar size and resolution, we found the Mi 4 to be

Conclusion

markedly superior in terms of brightness and vibrance. The Honor

Going by the parameter rankings, Xiaomi’s Mi 4 has a clear edge

6 and Vibe X2 go toe to toe for the second spot, but while the Honor

on its opponents – it wins four out of five parameters. In fact, the

6 has a better back camera, the Vibe X2 edges it out in display,

only areas where we can see people shifting away from the Mi 4

selfie camera and sound, taking second spot.

is in terms of storage (it is fixed at 16 GB), the absence of 4G,

Ranking: 1. Xiaomi Mi 4, 2. Lenovo Vibe X2, 3. Huawei Honor 6

and for some, the absence of dual SIM support. But it needs to

General performance

be pointed out that barring perhaps the UI and cameras, the Mi 4 never really pulls clear of its opponents. It is a very close run affair

When it comes to general performance, separating the three

between the three phones – we can see many people gravitating

devices is a tough call. All three handled pretty much whatever

towards the remarkably different looks of the Vibe X2 and also

we threw at them with a degree of ease, although we felt the Mi 4

loving its dual SIM support, and well, those who love having lots

handled high-definition content slightly better than its opponents.

of storage around would love the Honor 6. And then there is also

The MIUI interface does give the Mi 4 a significant edge though,

the matter of availability – at the time of writing, the Honor 6 and

but the Vibe X2 and Honor 6 run it very close. We also loved the

the Vibe X2 were available from Flipkart, while for the Mi 4, one

interface on the Honor 6 – Huawei has made some wonderful

would have to register and hope to get the device within the split

innovations in it. In terms of battery life, the Honor 6 actually

seconds within which it gets sold out. Our advice? Go for a Mi 4,

scores over the Mi 4, and alas the Vibe X2 does not even come

but grieve not if you don’t get it - the Honor 6 and Vibe X2 are very

into contention – while both the Honor 6 and Mi 4 will see out a

viable alternatives. Which just shows how many options Indian

day and a quarter of hefty use, the Vibe X2 will need a charge a

consumers now have in the sub-Rs. 20,000 phone category. n

day to keep going. The better call quality of the Mi 4 however sees

34 | march 2015

nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

In Focus

spotlight

Windows 10: One OS for all Windows devices

It has not yet been officially released, but Microsoft has given the world a much closer glimpse at the next version of Windows, Windows 10. And it will work not just on phones and tablets but also on wearables. By Abhijit Ahaskar 36 | March 2015

aving told the world earlier that Windows 10 is not an upgrade but a major leap that aims to set right the discrepancies of the previous OS, Microsoft showed off some of the personal, search friendly

aspects of the new OS along with some of the new devices that would be running it at a second event. The Surface Hub was shown to highlight the team productive side of the OS, while the Holo Lens added a wearable aspect to it.

One Windows, Free Windows! The forthcoming edition of Windows OS has been put forth as one OS for all Windows based devices, and that includes smartphones, tablets, TV, laptops, convertibles and desktops. A feature called the Continuum is supposed to make the new OS switch itself into a more touch friendly interface for the tablet mode and go back to

MYMOBILE

In Focus

spotlight

the desktop mode the moment it is plugged into a keyboard. Microsoft claims Windows 10 is going to be familiar to all Windows users no matter which Windows OS he or she is coming from, and is going to be compatible with all the apps and tools running on previous versions of Windows. To ensure that everyone gets a peek into the new Windows, Microsoft is going to give it away for free on all devices running Windows 8.1, Windows Phone 8 and Windows 7 for the first year. The fact that a major brand like Microsoft is ready to give a brand new OS for free shows their conviction in the new product.

A new browser and improved Cortana

interact with their Xbox friends and do voice and text chats.

Some of the key attributes of the new OS demonstrated at the

And new devices too

company headquarters include a more streamlined taskbar for seamless multi-tasking; the return of the Start button with more customization options, like flexible live tile inventory and a resizable Start Menu; updated Action Centre; advanced text input on mobile; a highly integrated keyboard with the ability to perform tasks from keyboard shortcuts and a web browser called Project Spartan that is seamlessly integrated with the voice assistant solution Cortana. What many would like even more is smooth convertibility, also known as Continuum, between the tablet and desktop mode. Cortana has been redesigned for a desktop PC, with the ability to not only search online but offline as well. Not only it can play/ pause music and send emails without users needing to touch the screen but can also anticipate a user’s needs gradually and come into action with the smallest of hints. The new OS will also serve as social platform for gaming fans where they can

www.mymobile.co.in

But while everyone had expected new features on Windows 10, no one had expected Microsoft to pull hardware rabbits out of its hat. The Redmond giant showed two devices to showcase Windows 10: the Surface Hub- an 84-inch 4K TV - and Holo Lens- a wearable that uses Holograms for computing. Surface Hub comes with built-in sensors made to bring out the productive best of a group. It allows participants to make calls right from the screen using a new version of Skype designed for big screens, move around objects, and bring in rich data to collaborate. Meanwhile, offsite participants can see all the action on the screen of whichever Windows device they are carrying. The Holo Lens is a wearable that creates 3D holographic images around real objects and see what it would look like by applying holographic shapes and design through hand gestures. These images would help users to create, communicate and work more efficiently on creative projects. It runs on Windows 10 and is designed like a wearable that has to be placed over one’s eyes. The company has released the technical preview of Windows 10 for developers and the OS itself is expected to arrive later this year. Microsoft is counting on the new OS to bridge the gulf between old and new operating systems, small and large devices, touch and keyboard inputs and enterprise and personal space. In short: one Windows to rule them all. Given the company’s reputation, it would be a brave person who would bet against them pulling that off. n abhijit@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 37

apptastic

Keeping Her Safe, The Appy Way W

ith the growing cases of harassment and violence,

women’s security has been a major area of concern. And while the relevant authorities are taking measures in this regard, there are a number of apps out there that also claim to keep the user safe. While these do not guarantee your safety by any means, they are a handy option to have around you, especially when you consider that they are present on a device that is always with you – your smartphone. So the next time you

Women’s safety remains a key concern in many Indian cities. Although the administration is working on it, you can do your bit by downloading an app. We look at some apps that can help keep you safe. By Trisha Dey

feel in a spot of bother, reach out for an app that can help. There are several women’s saftey apps out there, but these in our opinion are among the best ones out there:

Raksha: Women Safety Alert With the help of Raksha app, women can now be in constant touch with their near and dear ones. You just need to press a button and share your location. After downloading the app, you have to select contacts who you think should see your location and you can also ask them to share their location. When in distress, pressing a single key sends out a loud buzzer to your added contact. Even if the app isn’t running, pressing the volume key for just three seconds will alert the specific contacts about any kind of danger. Your location is sent on a map which tells the receiver about your exact whereabouts. On the app, a group of trusted people including your friends and family members can be created, and you can also add 100 to the contacts list. If the app is not in an Internet connectivity area, then it automatically sends an SMS. Available From: Android, iOS, Windows Phone

38 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

apptastic

AppyFizz

bSafe: Personal Safety App Have you ever felt unsafe while walking alone at night? The bSafe app is designed to keep you and your friends safe around the clock. Through this app you can create your own social personal safety network of friends, co-workers and family members. You can add a timer so that your circle of friends can be alarmed if you have not checked in on time. If you are in any trouble then there is a guardian button which will help to notify your guardian about your location with a special video feature showing them the situation. A fake call can also be programmed in the time of emergency and the phone will start ringing and you can also define the person from whom the call will be coming. bSafe puts safety in your hands and lets you stay connected to people. Available From: Android, iOS, Windows Phone

redEye: Women Safety This is an app for those who travel by a similar route every day and want to ensure that things do not go wrong. redEye

Glympse: Share GPS Location

automatically identifies whether you are in danger but for that you need to go through the available settings and configure it as needed. You need to choose your destination of travel

The name of the app itself tells us about its features. Glympse, is a fast,

- you can review the paths if

free, and simple way to share your location using GPS tracking with

changes are needed on

your friends and family. To use this app you don’t need to sign up and

the path. The app will

you can share your location with anyone with an Internet connected

keep on tracking you and

device. You just need to set the duration for which you wish to share

if you deviate from any of

your location, pick a destination, choose the recipients and hit “send”

the ideal paths, then an alert

and then Glympse will send a link to the contact which will help them

will be activated. Whenever the

locate you on a map. Your friend need not even have the app installed

destination is reached and you think that

on their device – your location will be shown on a map that opens in a

you are safe then you need to manually

browser. You can choose to send your location via an SMS text message,

disable the application through the

via an e-mail, post to Twitter, post to Facebook, copy to your clipboard,

button. A superb use of GPS, in our

or send it to another application on your phone.

opinion.

Available From: Android, iOS, Windows Phone

Available From: Android

Woman Safety: Shield Protection Anywhere! The Woman Safety Shield Protection app will help you stay safe and secure and the app can also be used to take pictures, which can be used as evidence should the need arise. You just need to hit the emergency button and pictures will be taken and will automatically be sent to your emergency email contacts with your location and contact information. The appeal of the app lies in its ability to provide visual proof and can allow you to take action even if you see someone being mistreated. The developers claim that the pictures and location will be sent out even if you happen to lose the phone. Given the fact that most smartphones these days come with cameras, this is a powerful tool indeed. Available From: Android n

www.mymobile.co.in

trisha@mymobile.co.in march 2015 | 39

In Conversation

chief speak

“ Productivity Tablets are in Demand” You seem to have entered the mobility market via the tablet/phablet

see lot of launches of Windows tablets this year.

route rather than the smartphone one. What is the reason for this approach? As a technology leader and a peer in technology space

You have got Android tablets and you also have Windows tablet. Don’t

we look at customer trends and as a very strong computing player

you think it confuses customers a bit ? I think Android is a pure

we found our synergies were much better to get into tablet business

play consumption pattern kind of a device so if my consumption

than getting into a phone business. The tablet is still a product

includes a lot of applications from the Google Play store then I

which has a lot to do with productivity. So that is our fundamental

would prefer Android. But if I require productivity out of a device I

reason for getting into a tablet business. The strategy for us is not

would go for Windows. So it is very clear that Windows’ positioning

only getting into the tablet business but getting into tablet business

is a platform for a productivity type tablet and Android for an

on various architectures, operating systems and screen sizes. So

entertainment and consumption tablet.

you will have products from us with Intel based architectures and ARM based architecture, multiple operating systems like Android

But how will HP tablets be different from the ones already in the market?

and Windows and multiple screen sizes. We want to make sure that

We are making sure the choice for our customers is vast across

the choices are available for our customers and partners.

different architectures. We are making the customer experience really great. Then there is the after sales service support. The kind

One thing which is rather remarkable is that people are seeing tablet

of network we have today of almost 700 plus service centers. The

as a productivity tool and not a data consumption device anymore. Why

experience of using the product and the peace of mind when

this change of mindset? If you really see the tablet usage pattern you

somebody owns it, are the two differentiators we are going to work

will find that there are two kinds of customers. One, who uses tablet

on to make sure the confidence of our customers when they buy

as a personal device for browsing, mailing etc., and the second, is

HP is high.

one who uses it as a productivity device. Tablets are being used in a way which is much more beyond a consumption device. And we

Online retail has emerged as an important channel in recent times.

believe that it is a blend of both consumption and creation which

What is your strategy for online commerce? We have strategies for

is required now, especially in certain form factors of tablet.

both online and offline. Brick and mortar is a very strong channel for us. We have built our business over the last few years with the brick

Do you think emergence of Windows 8 also played a role in the

and mortar channel and we want to continue with them because

realization that a tablet can also be productive? Windows 8 played

this channel has a tremendous customer base and our loyalty to the

an important role in coming of devices with new form factors in

channel is extremely high. Having said that, online is an important

the PC industry. The reason why we came out with detachables,

alternate channel and we are engaged with all major online players

convertibles and foldables is largely because of Windows 8. If it

to make sure our representation on them is right and clear.

had not been there, we couldn’t have experimented with the PC form factor. The acceptance of Windows 8 in a touch environment

What can we expect from HP in 2015?

definitely increases its potential for success on the tablet kind of

We are seeing three mega trends in the industry- cloud, mobility

device where productivity becomes very critical.

and productivity with mobility. We have a new product called HP Stream 11, which is an 11-inch laptop offering 3G connectivity,

In 2014, we have seen a significant increase in the number of Windows

1TB cloud storage and a Windows experience at an affordable

based tablets in the markets. What is the reason for this? There are

price. We also have HP Stream 8 with features of a notebook in

two reasons - Microsoft has changed the policy concerning license,

a tablet form factor. And we have the Pavilion Mini, which is a

giving the OS free of cost on devices with display below 9.0 inches.

highly portable desktop PC with all productivity features. Those

With the change in policy and acceptance of Windows on touch

are the kind of mobility based productivity devices we are talking

devices, a lot of applications have been added on Windows, and the

about. You will see a lot of such products focusing on these

confidence of players like us is extremely high. From a customer

megatrends. n

side, productivity tablets are in demand. Windows fits in extremely

nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

well when it comes to productivity devices and that is why you will

mukesh@mymobile.co.in

40 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

It is a household name in printers and computers, and is now targeting the mobile devices market with a host of innovative devices. But how exactly does Hewlett Packard (HP) expect to grab a share of the massive Indian market? We met Ketan Patel, director, computing category, PPS, HP India to find

In Conversation

chief speak

out more. By Nimish Dubey & Mukesh Kumar Singh

www.mymobile.co.in

february 2015 | 41

First Look

justin Microsoft Lumia 435: The affordable Lumia

icrosoft continues to take on Android in the affordable smartphone segment. Hot on the heels of the Lumia

535 comes the even more affordable Lumia 435.The Lumia 435 comes with a 4.0-inch 800 x 480 display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, backed up by 1 GB RAM and 8 GB storage which is expandable using a microSD card. It sports a 2.0-megapixel rear camera and a VGA front facing camera, and comes with dual SIM connectivity. Running on top of it all is the latest version of Windows, Windows Phone 8.1. While some pundits might frown on the relatively modest specification of the device, we can see those looking for their first smartphone getting attracted by the solid build and smooth UI provided by Windows Phone, and of course, the traditional funky Lumia colours. And at Rs. 5,999, it is easily one of the most affordable Lumia devices in the country. n

Samsung Galaxy J1: Galaxy on a budget

he competition in the budget smartphone market in India continues to get hotter, with Samsung

coming to the party with the Galaxy J1. Targeted at the budget conscious, the Galaxy J1 comes with a 4.3 inch 800 x 480 display and is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual core processor, backed up by 512 MB RAM. Storage stands at 4 GB, but is expandable using a micro SD card. The phone has two cameras â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a 5.0-megapixel rear camera and a 2.0-megapixel front facing one- and runs on Android 4.4. The phone comes with dual SIM connectivity, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. At Rs 7,190, some might consider it to be a bit on the expensive side when you consider the offerings from Indian and Chinese manufacturers of late, but where the Galaxy J1 stands out is in terms of its sleek design (it is a mere 8.9 mm thin) and what Samsung claims is its superb battery management â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the phone has a UPS mode to increase battery life. n team@mymobile.co.in

42 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

Asus ZenFone 2: Another dose of Zen

sus was one of the brands that powered the low price-high performance phone phenomenon that hit India last year and leading its charge was the

Asus ZenFone, which offered very good hardware at a sub-Rs 10,000 price. And Asus unveiled its successor at CES this year, the ZenFone 2. Powered by an Intel processor, the phone is definitely a step up in the hardware department and comes with a 5.5-inch full HD display, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB of storage, which is expandable using a memory card. The camera has been boosted to 13.0-megapixels at the back and 5.0-megapixels at the front. Connectivity options include 4G, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS, and

Comming Up

sneakpeek

the phone also runs Android Lollipop (5.0). Best of all, the phone comes with the classy design that made the ZenFone such an irresistible proposition for anyone seeking a good phone without blowing a hole in their bank accounts. The phone is expected to arrive in the market in March and is expected to be priced in the vicinity of Rs. 12,500 for the 16 GB variant. n

Sony Xperia E4: The next Xperia

fter a relatively quiet period, Sony

include 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The phone

has now waded back into the

comes with a 2,300 mAh battery but Sony claims

smartphone market with the latest in

it has optimized it so well that it is actually marketing

its Xperia range of smartphones, the

the phone as one that lasts two days on a single

Xperia E4. The phone comes with a

charge – rare to see in affordable Androids (it runs

5.0-inch IPS display with qHD

Android 4.4). The phone is expected to arrive in the

resolution and claims to have very

market in March and should cost in the vicinity of

good viewing angles. It is powered by

Rs. 8,500. n

a quad core 1.3 GHz processor, and

team@mymobile.co.in

comes with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded using a memory card. Sony is hoping to attract users to this device through its multimedia muscle – it features a 5.0-megapixel rear camera (with auto scene recognition and HDR), a 2.0-megapixel front facing camera and comes with support for Sony’s 3D Surround Sound technology. Connectivity options team@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 43

Tried & Tested

burntest

Android One With Hindi Spice’s Dream Uno H has a Hindi flavour to it

tech specs

same price range with higher resolution displays, but this one is very good as well. The

Weight | 107 grams OS | Android OS v4.4 Display | 4.5-inch, 480x854p

is also good, although not in the league of the likes of the

Processor | Mediatek MT6582 Quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7

Moto E and Asus ZenFone 4,

RAM | 1GB

we will find Uno H little less in

Storage | 4GB

the quality. For processing the

Battery | Li-Ion 1,700 mAh

handset has a 1.3 GHz quad

3G/4G | Yes/No

core processor. The phone also

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

has a 5.0-megapixel camera,

Rear Camera | 5-megapixel

but it cannot be used unless

Front Camera | 2-megapixel

the device. As this is an Android One device, users will get the plain Android experience, with a promise to update the OS

Dual SIM | Yes

Price: Rs. 5,909

verdict Looks

07 /10

Android 4.4.4 out of the box).

Similar to the old Android phones, nothing new in terms of design.

The one feature that makes

Features

08 /10

Performance

08 /10

menu and messaging are

Good performance, display could be better

a rubber finish which makes it

also available in Hindi, which

Ease of Use

easy to grip.

should appeal to a number of

08 /10

Value For Money

08 /10

OVERALL

78%

oogle’s Android

touch buttons, which can be

to the latest version in the

One initiative

customised according to the

coming days (it comes with

has gone a trifle

user’s preferences.

quiet after its

Above the screen is the round-

high-profile launch with three

shaped ear piece which was

the handset stand out from

devices. However, Spice has

also there in the Android One

the Android One crowd is

now added a fourth to the

handsets. The build quality

the Hindi language support

group – the Dream Uno H.

of the phone is good and the

- all the features including

But what does it bring to the

back panel of the handset has

Android One table?

Nothing noticeably new

Hindi Android One

If we talk about the looks,

The dual SIM handset has

Value for Money

there is actually nothing new

two GSM slots, both of which

The Spice Dream Uno H is

to witness in the Dream Uno

support 3G connectivity. For

price at Rs.5,909 and is

H. The handset is similar to

connectivity the users will

available on its exclusive

the Spice Dream Uno, Spice’s

get Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and

online partner, Snapdeal.

first Android One handset.

GPS. As in the case of the

com. For the price, it is a very

The front panel has a 4.5

other Android One device,

good handset, although we

inch screen and there are no

the Dream Uno H has a 4.5

would have preferred a better

buttons anywhere. On the

inch capacitive touch screen

camera. Those looking for

lower part of the display are

with 480 X 854 resolution.

alternatives can consider the

three touch buttons and above

The handset has a 1GB RAM

Moto E, the Xolo One and the

that on the display itself are

and 4GB internal memory.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S. n

the menu and several more

We have seen handsets in the

44 | march 2015

Dimensions | 132 x 67 x 9.2 mm

touch sensitivity of the handset

you insert a memory card in

Spice Dream Uno H

users.

team@mymobile.co.in

We expected more memory and RAM from the new Android One

Compact, familiar stock Android UI There are better alternatives in this price point

PROS Stock Android, Good processing speed

Cons Low internal memory Ordinary design

MYMOBILE

Big Sized Hive The Omega 5.0 comes with Xoloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hive UI

olo is one of the

muscle power will like it as it is

few local brands

built on solid lines with curved

with handsets

edges. It boasts a 2,100 mAh

to match major

non removable battery. The

international players in the

back, however, is removable as

affordable segment. Handsets

the two SIM slots and memory

like Xolo Omega 5.0 and 5.5

slot are placed below it.

are not hardware tigers and a distinct Xolo experience.

Hive: Xoloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s software move!

Their new UI Xolo Hive,

Most Indian manufacturers

distinguishes them from other

have not paid much attention

Indian players and puts them

to the software side of their

in a league of their own. But

smartphones, using something

does the UI and hardware

close to the stock Android

blend well in the Omega 5.0?

interface. Xolo was the first

attempt to offer their users

Big and bulky

tech specs Dimensions | 131 x 72.4 x 10.2 mm Weight | -

the software side with Hive UI. The UI boasts of theme

for the design conscious. It

based lock screen, freedom

is bulky, too big for a handset

to add multiple homescreens

with a 5-inch screen and then

and an app inventory where

the exterior is so glossy that

apps are presented not only

it feels slippery and smudge-

in alphabetical order but also

prone. However, those looking

under separate categories such as, business, games,

communication, music and video, social, and many more.

OS | Android OS v 4.4

Not only does it look good,

Display | 5.0-inch, 1280x720p

but it also makes locating an

Processor | Mediatek MT6592M Octa-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A7 RAM | 1 GB

app quick and easy. It runs on Android 4.4 (KitKat) and comes with Xolo apps like fusion X, Power, Secure and

Price: Rs. 8,999

Vodafone music pre loaded on it.

An affordable powerhouse Powered by a 1.4 GHz MediaTek octa-core processor and 1 GB RAM, Omega 5.0 not only runs smoothly but

Indian manufacturer to get into

The Omega 5.0 is not meant

for a solid device with lots of

Xolo Omega 5.0

Tried & Tested

burntest

verdict Looks

Glossy finish and very ordinary looking

Features

Boasts of Xolo Hive UI, Android 4.4, and a 720p display

Performance

Smooth performance, average battery backup

Ease of Use

Big and bulky for a 5-inch smartphone

Value For Money Decent price but better devices available

OVERALL

07 /10 08 /10

is well supported by a vivid 5-inch display and a good set of cameras (8.0 megapixel and 2.0 megapixel), which despite being a little slow gives fine looking shots with accurate colours when used outside.

08 /10

Internal memory stands at 8 GB and there is an external memory card slot too. The

08 /10 08 /10

call quality is good, speakers are loud, although the battery backup is quite average.

Conclusion 78%

Xolo Omega 5.0 is a great device for Rs. 8,999, but faces some competition from the likes of the Lenovo A6000 and the YU Yureka. The A6000 has a 5-inch 720p display, 8 GB

PROS Unique Xolo UI, Good performance

Cons Exterior is too glossy, Average battery

internal storage, 1GB RAM, supports 4G and costs Rs. 6,999. The YU Yureka comes at Rs. 8,999 and offers 4G, a bigger display and better design. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 45

Tried & Tested

burntest

Selfie Power on a Budget! The Karbonn MACHONE Titanium

S310 shoots from the front

onboard. And well, then there is the front facing camera, which as we mentioned, is a 5.0-megapixel snapper, and

OS | Android OS v4.4 Display | 4.7-inch, 1280x720p

RAM | 1 GB Storage | 8 GB

is just 1,800 mAh which is

Battery | Li-Ion 1,800 mAh

pretty average for an entry

3G/4G | Yes/No

level smartphone, but should

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

suffice for the usage of most

Rear Camera | 8-megapixel

basic users. However, if you

Front Camera | 5-megapixel

intend to keep your mail and

Dual SIM | Yes

social networks buzzing and

Price: Rs. 6,990

advise you not to venture too far from a charging point. Selfie photos are

of class to the smartphone.

Connectivity options include

all around you

Volume rockers and power

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, dual

and so are selfie

button are on the left while

SIM functionality and also 3G,

smartphones but

the Android keys are placed

which is very good for a phone

beneath the display.

at this price point.

The software running on

Weight | -

well.

good use, then we would

front facing camera, one does

Dimensions | 137 X 68 X 8.1 mm

Processor | 1.3 GHz Quad Core Processor

put those those cameras to

to get a phone with a good

tech specs

comes with an LED flash as The battery of the phone

Karbonn Titanium MACHONE

verdict Looks

08 /10

Features

08 /10

Performance

07 /10

The phone is sleek and handy.

With 8MP rear camera it also has a 5MP front camera.

have to spend a pretty penny.

the phone is Android 4.4

Conclusion

Some companies like Xiaomi

KitKat and the company says

The Karbonn MACHONE

Good camera, average battery backup

and Lava started affordable

that this will soon be upgraded

Titanium S310 is priced at Rs.

Ease of Use

selfie phones where Karbonn

to 5.0 (Lollipop) in future. The

6,990 and is well endowed for

08 /10

MACHONE Titanium S310

phone is powered by a quad-

this segment. However, those

joined the brigade. It has

core 1.3 GHz processor, and

looking for an alternative might

Value For Money

08 /10

decent specs, and comes with

comes with a Mali 400 GPU,

be tempted by the Lenovo

a 5.0-megapixel front facing

1 GB RAM and also boasts

A6000 and the Xiaomi Redmi

camera.

8 GB internal memory with a

1S, both of which have similar

microSD slot, which are very

specifications and better

OVERALL

78%

respectable specifications at

cameras â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the A6000 also

this price point.

has 4G connectivity. Where

Decent looks and specs The phone is fairly decent and

There are alternatives but this phone can also be considered.

the MACHONE scores over

handy and will easily fit into

The camera factor

most hands. The 4.7 inches

The biggest asset of Karbonn

department. Those looking

screen with 1280 Ă&#x2014; 720

MACHONE Titanium S310

for similar selfie muscle and

pixel resolution with IPS is a

is the camera, which is an

better battery life can also

pleasant surprise at this price.

8.0-megapixel BSI sensor

consider the Redmi Note 4G,

The plastic rim has a metallic

and comes with auto focus

which comes for Rs. 9,999.

finish which adds a touch

and LED flash and BSI sensor

46 | march 2015

Compact and has a good touch screen.

these is in the selfie camera

team@mymobile.co.in

PROS 8MP rear camera, good touch, sleek design

Cons Average battery backup, Average camera quality

MYMOBILE

bloom Globe 3.5 3g

Colourful Bloom

The Bloom Globe 3.5 3G comes with a splash of colour

tech specs

is a dual SIM one and in a very

Dimensions | 119 x 61.2 x 10.6 mm

neat touch, both SIMs support

Weight | 108 grams

3G. Powering the phone is a

OS | Android OS v 4.4

1.2 GHz dual core processor,

Display | 3.5-inch, 480x320p

with 256 MB RAM and 512 MB storage, which can be

Processor | 1.2 GHz Dual Core Processor

expanded to up to 32 GB using

RAM | 256 MB

a memory card. The 3.5 inch

Storage | 512 MB

display has a HVGA resolution,

Battery | Li-Ion 1,500 mAh

the phone comes with dual

3G/4G | Yes/No

camera (2.0-megapixel with

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

flash on the rear, VGA in front)

Rear Camera | 2-megapixel

and making sure all this runs

Front Camera | 1.3-megapixel

smoothly is a 1,500 mAh

Dual SIM | Yes

battery. The phone runs on

Price: Rs. 2,599

Tried & Tested

burntest

Android 4.4 (KitKat). We would call this a very decent spec sheet for the price.

hen it comes

hands without any problems.

to affordable

The display actually ends up

Android

looking a lot smaller than it

devices,

is as the manufacturers have

there are many options out

left rather large bezels around

there, but the lower you go in

it, but it still remains a very

the price section, the more

compact device by modern

cheap the devices look. This

standards. There is a black

is where the Bloom Globe 3.5

band running around the

3G tries to score â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yes, it is a

phone and placed on it on the

budget Android device and

left are the power button and

comes with a price tag of Rs

the volume rocker. On the top

2,599, but its appearance is

of the phone is the 3.5-mm

anything but cheap.

audio jack and a micro-USB

Eye-catcher

port. All in all, this is a good looking phone and we love the

The Bloom Globe 3.5 3G

fact that it comes with a free

comes in many colours, which

cover in the sales pack.

in itself is a pleasant surprise at this price point. We got

3G onboard

the red model and well, it

Yes, the Bloom Globe 3.5 3G

did turn a lot of heads. The

is a very basic Android device,

phone is very compact with a

but what makes it stand

3.5 inch display and although

out from the crowd of ultra-

not the thinnest at 10.9

affordable Android phones is

mm, will easily fit into most

the presence of 3G. The device

www.mymobile.co.in

verdict Looks

07 /10

Features

08 /10

the Globe 3.5 3G is a steady

3G connectivity available on both SIM slots.

performer as long as one steers

Performance

08 /10

applications. The cameras are

We expected more from the camera and display.

adequate and 3G connectivity

Ease of Use

08 /10

Battery life is adequate as long

The smartphone has simple UI for easy usage.

as one sticks to routine tasks

Value For Money

08 /10

OVERALL

78%

Solid rather than spectacular In terms of performance,

clear of heavy games and

is a huge bonus at this price.

like browsing the Web and checking mail. All of which make the Bloom Globe 3.5 3G a very

The curved design makes the phone handy.

On this budget very less phones are availble with the same features.

good option for anyone looking for an Android phone on sub Rs. 3,000 budget â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the colourful exterior, the dual cameras and 3G support are excellent features at this price point. Those looking for alternatives can consider the Adcom 400, which is available for a similar price of

PROS 3G network supported, Dual Camera

Cons Low internal memory, Average display

Rs. 2,599. n team@mymobile.co.in march 2015 | 47

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Curving to Conquer? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what the Galaxy Note Edge attempts to do

urved displays are not new in smartphones. After all, it was only last year that LG

surprised us all with the curved and very appropriately named LG G Flex. However, while attempts at curved displays in the past - be it on televisions or phones - have always tended to focus mainly on design and shape, Samsung has actually attempted to add a functional touch to it in the Galaxy Note Edge. There is no doubting the innovativeness of the approach. The big question is: does it succeed?

Looks like the Note...with an Edge There is no doubting it: the Galaxy Note Edge looks very different from any smartphone out there in the market. Yes, from the rear, it will remind many people of the Galaxy Note 4 with a similarly patterned, leather like back cover (which alas, still remains a thin plastic one). Turn it around, however, and there is no way in which you are going to confuse this with any other phone. For while the front is dominated by a 5.6 inch display, it actually flows over the right side, curving over the side, and giving the phone its distinctive look, and indeed, its name. We were actually surprised to see how compact the Note Edge is - at just slightly over half a foot long, it is a bit smaller than the Note 4 (which did have a 5.7 inch display, though). It is also thinner (8.3 mm to 8.5 mm) and at 174 grammes, just a single gramme lighter than the Note 4. Mind you, at 82.4 mm, it is significantly wider than the 78.6

48 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

mm Note 4. At the base of the display is

x 1440. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge tech specs

move to the edge when you pull the stylus out, giving you

the oval home button flanked

processor with 3 GB RAM, and

by the two touch buttons that

32 GB storage (expandable

are the trademark of high-end

to 128 GB). There is a 16.0-

Samsung devices. The home/

megapixel camera on the

Dimensions | 151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3 mm

power button has been shifted

back and a 3.7-megapixel

Weight | 174 grams

the controls moving to the

to the top, while the volume

one in front, and in terms of

OS | Android OS v4.4

edge, leaving the video on the

rocker is on the right. On the

connectivity, there is every option you can think of, from

Display | 5.6-inch, 1600x2560p

complete screen.

base is a micros-USB port and right next to it is the slot

4G to Infrared to Bluetooth

functionality, this is essentially

where the S-Pen stylus fits

and Wi-Fi. An important point

in smoothly. The presence

to note is that the curved

Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, Quad-core 2.7 GHz Krait 450

of the edge of the right side

portion of the display is not an

of the phone makes it easier

extension of the main display,

to use for right handers - left

even though it appears to be

handers will need to flip the

so. No, it is a separate display

icons a 180 degrees and

in its own right, with a different

turn the phone upside down

UI to boot and a resolution

to be able to use it, which

of 160p in its own right (so

would place the home button

technically the full resolution

above the display, an odd but

of the device is 2560 x 1440

manageable arrangement. We

+ 160). Round that off with a

got the white model and we

finger scanner and the iconic

feel that the black one actually

S-Pen stylus and you have a

looks better as the bezel on

device that can hold its own in

the curved side of the display

any flagship circle.

merges into it more smoothly, while the white side tends to

Innovative indeed!

stick out. A point to note is

It is the Edge that adds a

that the bezel on the side of

separate dimension to device.

the curved display juts out

It comes with what Samsung

slightly beyond the display to

calls a Revolving UI, and

ensure that you do not touch it

features a number of icons and

by accident. Yes, this phone is

shortcuts that you can place in

unabashedly big in best Note

it. Basically, these let you know

tradition, but it is going to turn

of different things like weather

heads, because hey, there is

and news updates and more

nothing remotely like it in the

importantly of notifications

market.

from different apps. You can

Hardware warrior with two displays

3G/4G | Yes/Yes Rear Camera | 16-megapixel Front Camera | 3.7-megapixel Dual SIM | No

Price: Rs. 64,100

verdict 09 /10

Performance

08 /10

Value For Money

Expensive for the hardware, not too bad for the experience.

OVERALL

images to writing text to taking pictures, and has one of the Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s TouchWiz UI needs some getting used to, but once you do get the hang of it, this remains one of the best phablets around. Mind you, battery life is slightly lower by Note standards, as the Edge comes with a smaller battery see you through a day of use

09 /10

Unlike the Passport, you can use it with one hand!

performer in all departments

than the Note 4. It will still

Features

Ease of Use

the Note 4. It is a terrific

best displays we have seen.

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

Great if you are looking for a lot of typing.

are playing video, with all

comfortably.

Conclusion There is no phone like the Note Edge in the market

08 /10

right now, but at Rs. 64,100, there is no doubt that it is on the expensive side. The

07 /10

curved edge is a neat touch but right now is of limited utility (even reading text on

82%

it involves tilting your head or the display) - more apps need

actually switch on just the

to come to make it a killer

edge, while keeping the main

product. It remains one of

display off for a quick look at

the most innovative devices

The Galaxy Note Edge packs

notifications if needed. The

in hardware that is very similar

edge also complements the

to the Note 4, making it one

main screen when you launch

of the most powerful devices

the camera, with the camera

around. The main display is

control buttons moving right

quad HD and Super AMOLED

over to the Edge. Similarly

with a resolution of 2560

a number of S-Pen options

www.mymobile.co.in

Battery | Li-Ion 3,000 mAh

All the goodness of BB OS 10.3.1 and decent hardware.

comes to the fore when you

from handling games to editing

Storage | 32GB

A blast right out of its past. Predictable, but attractive.

with. The edgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value really

In terms of other

RAM | 3GB

Looks

the complete display to work

Tried & Tested

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PROS

Cons

Very good hardware Innovative display Great performance

Expensive Curved display of limited use Interface remains slightly overwhelming

we have seen, although those looking for a more conventional design might prefer its equally powerful cousin, the Galaxy Note 4, which is priced at Rs. 59,990. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 49

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Triple SIM Gambit

Acerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Liquid E700 has three SIMs up its sleeve

fter a a brief sabbatical, Acer has returned to the Indian

smartphone market with a new range of smartphones. While the Jade has been getting most of the attention because of its sleek looks, the Liquid E700 is one of the new handsets Acer is counting upon for a re-entry into the Indian market as a smartphone brand. Seemingly taking a page out of Motorolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategy book, they have equipped it with features of great commercial value like a big display, good battery, multiple SIM slots, good design and a price tag that fits the budget of a wider audience. Interestingly, it is available through Snapdeal alone, making it another of those online exclusive only launches that has laid the platform for a number of new and returning brands. Will this handset script a successful second innings story for another international brand in the annals of Indian mobile industry?

Good-looking The Acer Liquid E700 weighs 154 grams which is about as much as most other handsets with 5.0-inch displays. It boasts a slim form factor with a layer of matte coating that feels comfortable to hold and looks fresh. It has a longish appearance courtesy its front facing speakers, wide

50 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

bezels and navigation keys.

decent enough. It is powered

Acer Liquid E700

and is capable of decent

The speaker placement is

by a 1.2 GHz quad-core

brilliant as it keeps the sound

processor from MediaTek, Mali

intact (as seen in a number

400 GPU and has 2 GB of

of HTC devices as well), the

RAM, which is quite good for a

wider bezels come in handy

sub Rs. 10,000 smartphone.

Dimensions | 147.3 x 73 x 9.9 mm

for gripping the phone while

The addition of a third SIM

Weight | 154 grams

firmware update some day in

playing games and watching

slot is something that is

OS | Android OS v4.4

the future.

movies and the navigation keys

generally seen in feature

are uniquely designed but lack

phones and while some might

Display | 5.0-inch, 1280x720p

Conclusion

backlighting. Also on board are

wonder if it is necessary in a

features like flash support on

smartphone, we can see others

a 2.0 megapixel front facing

liking the option.

camera, presence of triple SIM slots - a feature that has practically disappeared even

Brilliant display, and the odd lag

tech specs

Processor | Mediatek MT6582, Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 RAM | 2 GB Battery | Li-Ion 3,500 mAh 3G/4G | Yes/No

Although it can handle HD

a 3,500 mAh battery. The

games and high quality

back panel also features a

movies, the E700 lacks the

button right beneath the 8.0

consistency that one expects

megapixel camera, which

from a smartphone in this

serves as a shortcut button for

price point. Not only does it

the music app and the camera

sometimes hang while doing

app. For locking/unlocking the

the most routine of tasks or

display it has a button on the

running a relatively light app,

top of the device. The camera

but sometimes the navigation

button is on the back panel,

keys simply stop responding.

which is slightly unusual, but

That said, the 5.0-inch

it is better to have a dedicated

display is a vibrant affair

button than not having one

with good viewing angles,

Triple SIM, ample amount of internal memory, flash on front camera

at all.

brilliant colour rendering

Performance

Rear Camera | 8-megapixel Front Camera | 2-megapixel Dual SIM | Yes (Triple SIM)

Price: Rs. 10,999

verdict Looks

08 /10

Features

09 /10

Acer could fix matters with a

We have seen a surge in both the quantity and quality of phones in the sub-Rs. the Moto G showed up last year. The Acer Liquid E700 while it is certainly a very good proposition at this price point, it does face some very stiff competition. Perhaps its most notable rivals are the Yu Yureka, which offers a bigger display, supports 4G, is powered by a 64-bit octa-core processor and has a 13.0 megapixel camera with a good performance for just Redmi Note 4G , which is a

06 /10

The battery charges fast and can take you through a day if

Ease of Use

08 /10

Value For Money

08 /10

Compact and slim

a solid performer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; perhaps

Rs. 8,999; and the Xiaomi

Decent but lacks consistency, can hang with simplest of tasks

and great touch response.

odd lags and freezes, this is

is priced at Rs. 10,999, and

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

Good looking handset with a matte finish

All said and done, barring the

10,000 range ever since

Storage | 16 GB

from feature phones, and

Not two, but three SIM slots

looking shots and HD videos.

single SIM device but has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 5.5 inch display and a much better 13.0-

The Liquid E700 runs on

you are using it for relatively

Android 4.4 (KitKat) and

routine tasks, sterring clear of

features a slightly unique

heavy duty gaming and film

interface with colourful icons

watching, and have only one

for most apps except the ones

SIM slot in use. For a handset

from Google. Most of the apps

with 3,500 mAh battery we

memory, 13.0 megapixel

are regular ones and can be

were expecting a little more

camera and an octa-core

got from the Play Store. The

from it. The call reception

processor. We suspect that

unique ones are the Acer cloud

is good, and so is the sound

in the end, what will make

storage, Easy hotspot, Acer

quality from the speaker.

Snapnote, and a live screen

Though the front camera is

app that lets you share your

only of 2.0 megapixels but

phoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s display with another

it is good, has flash support

display. It comes with a little

and even supports 720p

over 12 GB of internal storage

recording. The rear camera

out of the 16 GB, which is

is an 8.0 megapixel affair

www.mymobile.co.in

Good features at this price point

Tried & Tested

burntest

OVERALL

megapixel camera. For a little more, you can get the Micromax Canvas Nitro, which

78%

PROS

Cons

Good looks, Triple SIM slots, Fine 720p display

Lags at times, No backlit keys, No 4G support

is a good smartphone too with 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal

people opt for the E700 is its option to support three SIM cards which is what really makes it stand out. Acer is back indeed, but it has a battle on its hands. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 51

Tried & Tested

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An A Plus Deal The Lenovo A6000 is just that

orget the highpriced flagships. The current smartphone

wars are being waged in the affordable segment, with the likes of Asus, Motorola, Xiaomi and Micromax placing option after option for the mainstream user at remarkably low prices. And now Lenovo has come to the party with the A6000, serving up remarkably good hardware at what seems an irresistible price. But how does it shape up against some very formidable competition?

Plain, but smart In terms of appearance, the Lenovo A6000 comes off as smart rather than stunning. The phone has a very neat and clean finish and while it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop traffic, it will certainly raise eyebrows when you mention its price â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it looks a definite notch above the Yureka and the Redmi 1S in the design department. The front is jet black and dominated by the 5.0-inch display, below which are three touch keys for Home, Menu and Back. The right side has the volume rocker and the power key, while the base and the left of the device are totally bare, and the top houses the 3.5 mm audio jack and the micro USB port. The back is plain with an 8.0-megapixel camera and flash on the top left corner, and speaker

52 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

grilles at the base. Lenovo has managed to keep the device

costs less than Rs. 7,000.

Lenovo A6000

found very little to reproach the A6000 with in terms of

incredibly compact – the

A steady performer

phone is just a tad larger

Do not expect the A6000 to set

than the high profile Vibe

the benchmarks on fire. While

X2, and at 128 grammes, is

it can handle multi-tasking and

Dimensions | 141 x 70 x 8.2 mm

relatively lightweight. It will fit

casual games, heavy graphics

Weight | 128 grams

Conclusion

into most hands easily. We do

titles like FIFA 15 and ICC Pro

OS | Android OS v4.4

We are going to be very

not think people will flaunt it,

Cricket 2015 will slow it down

blunt – if you are looking for a

but neither will they hide

significantly - we saw lags and

Display | 5.0-inch, 1280x720p

it away.

crashes creeping in when we

Decent hardware

tried playing these two games for extended periods or when

tech specs

Processor | Qualcomm MSM8916 Snapdragon 410, Quad-core 1.2 GHz CortexA53 RAM | 1 GB

Below those relatively plain

we exited them temporarily

looks is some very decent

and returned later. That said,

hardware. The 5.0-inch display

you can expect it to handle

is a 720p HD one, which gives

most routine tasks like e-mail,

it a slightly higher pixel density

social networking and Web

than the Redmi Note 4G and

browsing with a certain

the Yureka which have bigger

degree of ease. The display is

displays of similar resolution –

certainly one of the best we

the A6000 has a pixel density

have seen at this price point

of 294 ppi as against 267 ppi

in terms of brightness and

on those devices. It is powered

colour production, and another

by a quad core Qualcomm

asset is the surprisingly good

Snapdragon 410 processor,

(for the price, we hasten to

albeit with 1 GB RAM, which

add) 8.0-megapixel camera

A bit on the plain side, but impressively slim and compact.

some might consider to be a

at the back. Round that off

Features

performance as long as we did not venture into heavy duty graphics territory.

smartphone for less than Rs. 7,000, the Lenovo A6000 is your best option at its price of Rs. 6,999. It easily outpaces the likes of the Asus ZenFone

Price: Rs. 6,999

verdict

bit on the lower side when you

with dual speakers – a very

consider that the likes of the

pleasant surprise in this

A bit on the plain side, but impressively slim and compact.

Yureka and the Redmi Note

segment – and what you end

Performance

We would have liked longer battery life, but very impressive nevertheless

runs the likes of the more expensive YU Yureka and the

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

Looks

4 and the Moto E, and even

08 /10

Redmi Note 4G close. No, it won’t sweep you off your feet like some devices do, but as you use it, you will find yourself acquiring an affection for it for the sheer solidity of its build and consistency of performance, espeically in terms of the camera and the brightness of the display, both

09 /10

of which are its core strengths. Those looking for an alternative will be hard pressed to find one

08 /10

at this price point, although the

4G have 2 GB, but then those

up with is perhaps one of the

worthies do cost a bit more.

best multimedia smartphones

The phone comes with 8 GB

in the market at its price point.

storage, which is lesser than

The display is very good for

the 16 GB on the Yureka but

viewing videos and browsing

is on par with what comes

the Web, the camera is very

with the Redmi Note 4G.

good in normal light conditions

Connectivity options include

(do not expect low light magic)

dual SIM connectivity, 4G,

and the sound quality is very

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS.

decent. Battery life (the phone

camera, and runs Cyanogen,

In fact, Lenovo claimed that

comes with a 2,300 mAh

but is priced at Rs. 8,999.

this is the most affordable

battery) is a bit of an Achilles

Mind you, getting the Lenovo

smartphone in the country at

Heel, though – get the phone

A6000 could be quite a task

the time of its launch. Running

into social network and mail

on the device is Android 4.4.4

buzzing mode and you will

with Lenovo’s Vibe UI running

find yourself looking warily for

on top of it. Any way you look

a recharge point even as night

at it, these are very decent

falls. Call quality is decent as

specifications for device that

well. All said and done, we

www.mymobile.co.in

Ease of Use

Compact to use and Android KitKat works smoothly.

Lumia 630 might attract some with its smooth performance.

08 /10

On the Android front, the Lenovo A6000 is very much king of all it sees. If you can

Value For Money

09 /10

OVERALL

84%

Most affordable 4G smartphone.

Tried & Tested

burntest

stretch your budget, you can consider the YU Yureka, which has a better processor, 2 GB RAM, has a 13.0-megapixel

- it is a Flipkart exclusive and

PROS

Cons

Price, Decent hardware, Good performance

Battery life could have been better, Occasional lags

was getting sold out within seconds of going on sale when we last checked. But then that is another story... n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 53

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iBall has the Octa Core power And the Slide Octa A41 delivers that at a budget price

ablets were quite lost in the crowd of big phones

last year. Some tablets were launched but their impact on the market was not as great as was expected. Which is perhaps why this year has seen greater innovation from tablet manufacturers in terms of both design and pricing. iBall has been one of these, as can be witnessed from the Slide Octa A41, its latest tablet in the market.

Slim and smart The iBall Slide Octa A41 tablet is one of

54 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

the smartest looking tablets

4G connectivity, but even

available at its price point. At

without it, this is a very well

7.5 mm thickness, the tablet

specced device for its price

looks very slim. The front is

point.

dominated by a dark black

Mind you, its 3,500 mAh

iBall Slide Octa A41

in the case of both cameras, and although we do not often

tech specs

take pictures with tablets, we really expected more from cameras with such a relatively

screen but the back is made

battery does get drained very

Dimensions | 193 x 115 x 8 mm

of plastic and is of dark grey

fast thanks to that full HD

Weight | 272 grams

device comes with some basic

color with a matte finish. To

display â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even using the tablet

OS | Android OS v4.4

photo editing features and

distinguish the main and

online for 4-5 hours made a significant dent in the battery

Display | 7.0-inch, 1920x1200p

for music, the device has a

back panel, there is a metallic ring around the device which

and it was also noticeable that

well as FM radio.

definitely gives it a touch of

once it reaches a certain stage,

Processor | 1.7 GHz ARM Cortex-A7 Octa Core

class.

it depletes rather faster than it

RAM | 2GB

Conclusion

did initially.

Storage | 16GB 3G/4G | Yes/No

the left panel are the SIM tray

A bite of Android KitKat

and the microSD slot. There is

The iBall Slide Octa A41 has

only one cover available for the

been launched with Android

micro SIM and microSD card.

KitKat and comes with five

To open the cover, users have

home screen panels. You

to use the SIM extractor, which

cannot change the number of

comes with the sales package.

the panels available, but you

In sum, this is certainly one of

can customise these panels

the better looking tablets we

with a number of shortcuts

have seen at this price point.

and folders according to your

On the right side of the device is the power button and volume rockers while on

Full HD display, octa core power

needs and preferences. On the lower part of the screen,

Rear Camera | 8-megapixel Front Camera | 5-megapixel Dual SIM | No

Price: Rs. 13,799

verdict Even with the 7inch screen the tablet looks sleek and attractive.

Features

The iBall Slide Octa A 41

along with buttons for other

comes with a 7.0-inch

options, which can again be

Performance

display with a full HD (1920

customised.

x 1080) resolution. The touch

The tablet is easy to operate

experience and the quality

and comes preloaded with

of the display are excellent,

the demo versions of various

but it does tend to pick up

games like Danger Dash,

fingerprints and smudges very

Asphalt 7 and Bubble Bash

easily indeed.

3. Mind you, you will have

As its name indictaes, the

to pay to play the complete

The device performs well but battery backup is disappointing.

Ease of Use

The icons are big and clear making it easy to use.

Value For Money

Specifications are good in this budget but not the best.

iBall Slide Octa A41 looks good and for its price, packs in very good hardware â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

Full HD display and Octa-core processor makes it different from others.

you will find the menu button

number of preloaded apps, as

Battery | Li-Po 3,500 mAh

Looks

high megapixel count. The

08 /10

is very rare to see a full HD device at this price point. However, take the display out of the equation and we have to confess that the device has no really compelling feature (even the preloaded apps are predictable). We also expected far more from the battery and the

09 /10

camera, both of which are really average. With the sales package, the users will get a charger, earphones, a cover for

07 /10

tablet and a USB connector. The Slide Octa A41 is priced at Rs.13,799 but on Flipkart.

08 /10

com the device is available at a price tag of Rs.12,999, which makes it a very good option for

08 /10

those looking for an Android tablet with a good display. Those looking for alternatives

tablet is powered by an octa

versions of the games. Also on

core ARM Cortex A7 processor,

the tablet are applications like

backed up by 2 GB RAM and

WeChat and Chaatz, for those

Xolo Play Tegra Note, which

16 GB of storage, which is

who love to spend time online

are priced at Rs. 15,800 and

expandable using a memory

with their friends.

card. The tablet also comes

The Slide Octa Core A41

with support for 3G, Wi-Fi and

has an 8.0 megapixel rear

USB OTG, allowing you to

camera with an LED flash, and

connect your USB drives to the

a 5.0 megapixel front facing

tablet if need be.

camera for selfies. The image

We would have appreciated

www.mymobile.co.in

quality is nothing to rave about

OVERALL

Tried & Tested

burntest

80%

can also consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 (T231) and the

Rs. 9,999, respectively.

PROS

Cons

Great design, Octa core processor, 16 GB internal storage

Average battery backup, ordinary camera

The Tegra Note does not support calling, but is a powerhouse in terms of gaming, thanks to its powerful processors. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 55

Tried & Tested

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Windows 8 for the masses The HP Stream 8 is Windows at its affordable best

he era of expensive Windows-based tablets seems

to be rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Today, one can get a full-fledged version of Windows 8.1 on tablets priced as low as Rs. 10,000. Major brands like HP, Dell and Acer have come up with a number of impressive tablets at relatively low price points. The latest to join that list is the HP Stream 8, a low-cost tablet with a number of interesting features.

Impressive but not the most solid The Stream 8 is an elegant looking tablet with a black exterior made of a plastic material that does feel good but unfortunately is not sturdy and if you hold it a little firmly you can see ripples on the screen. It has nicely rounded edges, has a soft finish but, is a little heavy at 388 grams. The speaker grille is on the lower panel and gives clear and powerful sound irrespective of whether it is being held in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hand or installed on the keyboard case that comes with the tablet. The back houses a 5.0megapixel camera without flash, while on the front is a 2.0-megapixel camera for video chats. The back panel is removable, though

56 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

it was held so firmly that it was

finish it had been more slickly

not easy to take off. It houses

implemented.

a 4,000 mAH battery, a micro SIM and a micro SD card slot.

Solid performer The tablet boasts of a good

HP Stream 8 tech specs

friendliness with the popular touch inbterface that is becoming the rage these days.

Conclusion

looking 8-inch display with

Dimensions | 209 x 124 x 8.9 mm

The Stream 8 is a smooth

good viewing angles and an

Weight | 388 grams

as a multi-purpose tablet that

working tablet powered by a

impressive screen resolution

OS | windows 8.1

can be used for entertainment,

1.8 GHz Intel Atom processor

of 1200 x 800. Though the display is a little too glossy for

Display | 8.0-inch, 1280x800p

work and as a phone for taking

and 1 GB RAM, and boasts of 32 GB internal memory

comfort and prone to smudges,

It is compact, very portable,

and a 4,000 mAh battery. For

its touch is good. It handled

Processor | Intel Atom Z3735G, 1.8 GHz Quad Core

connectivity, it has Bluetooth,

HD videos, reading, and Web

Wi-Fi, micro USB slot and a

browsing very well. The tablet

3G ready micro SIM slot for

has 1 GB RAM, which is a little

accessing data. It runs on

less compared to some Android

Windows 8.1 with Bing, an

tablets in this range, but we

edition of Windows 8.1 which

didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see any significant

runs Bing as the default search

drop in performance on

engine with Internet Explorer.

account of it. The speakers are

Since the Bing edition

powerful and come in handy

comes without licensing fee,

for watching movies. The rear

manufacturers are bound not

camera lacks flash, and is

to change it to any other search

not the quickest but supports

engine. The benefit of it is that

touch to focus and is at best an

the user gets a full blown OS

average performer. We liked

Elegant looking device with fine matte finish

that runs on PCs and not a

the front-facing camera more,

Features

mobile OS like Android. The

as it is much better than most

tablet comes with a number of

front-facing cameras in tablets.

A PC on a tablet

useful apps pre-loaded on it,

With a desktop OS at

The HP Stream 8 is designed

and making calls over Skype.

RAM | 1 GB

comes with a desktop OS and is priced at Rs. 16,990, which

Storage | 32 GB Battery | Li-Ion 4,000 mAh 3G/4G | Yes/No

is an impressive price for a Windows 8.1 based tablet PC. You can also try out the Asus

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes Rear Camera | 5-megapixel Front Camera | 2-megapixel Dual SIM | No

Price: Rs. 16,990

Eeebook X205, a modern avatar of netbooks with a ultra-thin form factor, great design, a bigger display and a longer lasting battery. It is priced at Rs. 14,999, but

verdict Looks

MS Office 365 1 year subscription, runs on Windows 8.1 OS

Performance

Fluent performance with decent battery backup, good looking display

08 /10

lacks a touchscreen and cannot be used as a tablet at all. You can also check out the Notion Ink Cain 10 tablet,

09 /10

which comes at slightly higher price of Rs. 19,990, but offer a bigger display, runs on

08 /10

Windows 8.1 and offers 1 year

like the Maps, One Note, One

service and a keyboard case in

Drive with 1 TB storage, HP

tow, the HP Stream 8 is ready

connected music, MS Office

to serve users as a professional

365 with 1 year subscription,

laptop replacement that

Skype and there is the

can be lugged around easily

Windows app store where you

and a multimedia device for

can get more apps. The tablet

gaming and watching movies.

is projected as a productivity

The ability to admit external

device, hence comes with a

memory cards of upto 32 GB

foldable leather case with a

is another of its plus points as

However, what makes the

keyboard, which can fold to

even 32 GB on board storage

HP Stream 8 special in our

support the tablet upright while

could be limiting for people

book is its rather unique

you type on the keyboard. The

using it as a full time device.

combination of a good tablet

keyboard is held firmly by a

The battery gives 5 to 6

magnet under the case and

hours of back-up on non-stop

connects via Bluetooth, while

use with Web browsing and

the tablet is held through four

watching movies. All in all,

elastic clasps. It is definitely a

the HP Stream 8 represents

handy addition as it also serves

HPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attempt to marry its

as a case for the tablet. We just

core strengths of enterprise

www.mymobile.co.in

Tried & Tested

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free subscription of Office 365, and comes with an advanced

Ease of Use

08 /10

Value For Money

08 /10

Slightly bulky for an 8-inch tablet Comes at a good price considering the features

OVERALL

keyboard case. And of course, there will be those who will argue that one could get an iPad mini (which is retailing for less than Rs. 15,000 in

82%

PROS

Cons

Runs Windows 8.1, Good display, 1 year Office 365 subscription

Slightly creaky build, Glossy display picks up smudges, Average camera

some stores) and combine it with a Bluetooth keyboard.

with a keyboard cover. Which should prove to be quite a temptation for those who like to work on the move and want the best of both worlds, touch and type. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 57

Tried & Tested

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A Smartphone Convertible The Asus PadFone Mini blends a phone and a tablet

hones might be getting bigger all the time but notwithstanding

a slight slowdown, tablets are certainly not going away in a hurry. A number of users need a bigger display than what a smartphone offers from time to time, but do not want to go for a phablet-sized device as it can be hard to handle on a full time basis. The Asus Padfone Mini presents a unique option, the like of which has been seen more often in the notebook segment, which has two-in-one devices that can be used as notebooks as well as tablets. Asus has

been known for tweaking designs to accommodate different devices in a single form factor, as was witnessed in the Transformer series, and now has brought a similar innovation to its popular PadFone. The Padfone Mini comprises a compact 4-inch display smartphone that can be switched into a 7-inch display tablet by slotting into a tablet-like shell. The tablet part of it works only when the smartphone is put into it, but it has its own battery, a superior set of speakers, and a much better HD display. So not only it offers a bigger display but also an enhanced experience.

A 2-in-1 tablet The â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;tablet sectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the

58 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

Asus PadFone mini

PadFone Mini cannot be used

megapixel rear camera and

as a standalone tablet and

2.0 megapixel front camera.

works only with the Padfone

The internal storage is too low

Mini smartphone in the

for a device that serves as a

docking station. However,

tab and a smartphone, in our

the process of switching on

opinion. Also, the battery is

the tablet mode is not very

average and won’t last a day

smooth. Whatever was running

of even regular use. That said,

on the handset won’t pick up

the phone can handle most

Weight | 376 grams (Phone: 116 + Tablet: 260)

where you left off on the tablet

the tasks including some of

OS | Android OS v4.3

cloud storage. It is one of the

and you will have to open

the light games effortlessly,

better interfaces we have used

it again in the tablet mode.

and the 4-inch display, despite

The entire device is also a

the low resolution, is colourful

Display | Phone: 4-inch, 800x480p, Tablet: 7-inch, 1200x800p

little thick on account of the

and responds very well to the

adapt to.

docking station on the back,

touch. The 8.0 megapixel

Processor | 1.6 GHz Intel Z2560 dual core

and weighs around 380 grams

camera is fast and turns out

with the smartphone, which is

decent looking shots, although

slightly more than what tablets

sometimes with a little tinge

Battery | Phone: 1,200mAh, Tablet: 2,100mAh

with 7.0-inch displays weigh

of yellow. It supports touch to

3G/4G | Yes/No

handling most tasks. The

nowadays. It comes in two

focus, HDR and has numerous

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

flexibility of converting your

colour variants and we liked

useful modes, but because

Rear Camera | 8-megapixel

smartphone into a big screen

the black one more than the

there is no flash so do not

Front Camera | 2-megapixel

is interesting and unusual.

white one. In the tablet mode,

expect much out of it in low

Dual SIM | Yes

Unfortunately, you cannot carry

one can access almost every

light. The touch navigation keys are placed outside the

Price: Rs. 15,999

on the activity on phone on the

function of the smartphone including calling, so one won’t

display and are not backlit, the

application again. It raises the

have to remove the smartphone

micro USB is on the side and

verdict

from it to receive or make

the slot to connect with the

calls. The sound quality of

docking station is at the base.

the speaker is superior to that

It has dual micro SIM slots (the

of the smartphone, and so is

reception is clear on both) and

the battery (2,100mAh). The

a micro SD slot that can take

docking station has a power

upto 64 GB cards.

button, volume button and micro USB on the side panel for file transfer and charging.

Padfone Mini: the smartphone

Zen UI, upgradeable to KitKat The PadFone Mini runs on Android 4.3 which is upgradeable to 4.4 (KitKat).

tech specs Dimensions | Phone: 124.42 x 61.44 x 11.2 mm, Tablet: 199.85 x 119.43 x 13.91 mm

RAM | 1 GB

Looks

07 /10

Features

09 /10

Comes with the goodness of a tablet and smartphone in one

Performance

Good at handling most tasks, has a nice camera, the battery on phone was disappointing

Ease of Use

Compact and handy as a phone but thick and bulky as a tablet

contacting, free hotline service, and get the latest news related to Asus; PC Link to mirror your phone’s display on the PC; Power saver to automatically close functions to reduce the battery drain and Asus Cloud that offers 5 GB free

on smartphones as it works smoothly and is very easy to

Conclusion

Storage | 8 GB

It looks very ordinary

for providing service locations,

The Padfone Mini is not a powerhouse but is good at

station and have to restart the same old question that a lot of people asked when laptop convertibles first showed upwhen one can get two devices with better specs at the same

08 /10

price why should one invest in a single one that claims to do both. At Rs. 15,999, the PadFone Mini comes

07 /10

across as a slightly expensive proposition, especially when you consider that you can go

Value For Money

08 /10

OVERALL

78%

for a Zenfone 4 (priced at Rs.

The other but more significant

It carries the Zen UI, which

half of the Padfone Mini is

is known for its simple and

the 4.0-inch display-toting

intuitive design and is used

smartphone which is drawn on

in all Asus Zenfones. To

3G+WiFi (priced at Rs. 8,999),

similar lines as the Zenfone 4

make searching for an app a

and get comparable and at

and looks quite similar to it.

quick affair it classifies them

Even most of the hardware is

as downloaded apps and

similar, like the dual core Intel

frequently used apps. Also, it

processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8

comes with a number of handy

GB of internal memory with 4

apps like Music mode; Offline

GB available for use and 8.0

dictionary app; My Asus app

www.mymobile.co.in

Slightly overpriced

Tried & Tested

burntest

5,999) or the Xiaomi Redmi 1s (priced at Rs. 5,999) and the first gen Asus Fonepad 7

times even better performance.

PROS

Cons

Phone and a tablet in one, Impressive display

Phone-tablet integration not the smoothest, Poor battery on smartphone

But if it is one device that you want to act as both phone and tablet, then the PadFone Mini is in a league of one. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 59

Tried & Tested

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AMOLED Magic

Delivered by the Micromax Canvas Hue

icromax

to tell it apart from any of the

best aspect of smartphone

was the way it looks. It has a

continues

erstwhile iPhones or any of the

by naming the handset after

shiny white exterior with a wide

its surge in

high-end smartphones that

the feature. The Canvas Hue

metal rim about the sides,

the Indian

take after them. What makes

is named to stress its vibrant

giving it solidity and a refined

market with the Canvas Hue,

its case stronger, besides the

AMOLED display.

look that would blend in all

a device that in best Micromax

good looks, is the impressive

tradition comes with decent

price tag at which it comes and

Elegant and handy

hardware at a surprisingly

the bevy of features that are

The Canvas Hue has many

front panel that includes three

affordable price. A look at the

in great demand. Micromax

things going for it, but the one

backlit keys, a front facing

new Canvas Hue and it is hard

has a tendency to show off the

that impressed us the most

camera and a wide in-ear grille.

60 | march 2015

settings. It has a dazzling 5.0inch display on a minimalist

MYMOBILE

The back keeps it simple too,

offer a fair amount of hardware

with a camera and a flash

bang for the bucks it charges.

almost on the edge - it should

The display in particular is its

have been a little inside or in

strong point.

the middle to avoid it from

Micromax Canvas Hue tech specs

performance of Canvas Hue is good and at par with a number of handsets in this range. A year ago, we would have hailed it as being revolutionary

Dimensions | -

it. The back panel is very

Android KitKat with loads of apps

glossy and prone to smudges

Micromax phones are never

and scratches. It is removable

seen with any one standard UI.

and houses a 3,000 mAH

This one runs on Android 4.4 and has a UI with prominent

Processor | Mediatek MT6582, Quad-core 1.3 GHz

although it remains one of

battery, dual micro SIM slots and a micro SD card slot. It is

icons and no app drawer.

RAM | 1 GB

anyone seeking an AMOLED

compact, and weighs a mere

The home screen serves as

Storage | 8 GB

display.

136 grams, and should fit into

the app inventory which

Battery | Li-Ion 3,000 mAh

most hands easily. And yes,

comes pre-loaded with a long

3G/4G | Yes/No

Conclusion

we can see people showing it

list of apps like Dr. Safety,

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

At Rs. 10,999, the Micromax

off too.

Truecaller, Amazon, Swiftkey,

Rear Camera | 8-megapixel

Canvas Hue is a decent

Saavn, M insurence, Mi live

Front Camera | 2-megapixel

handset at this price point with

and Mi games, besides the

Dual SIM | Yes

some very good attributes. It

regular Google apps. We liked

Price: Rs. 10,999

is good-looking, well priced,

getting blocked while holding

Impressive display and a good battery

it is just one of many phones

OS | Android OS v4.4

that offer good hardware at

Display | 5.0-inch, 1280x720p

Canvas Hue is powered by

the M insurance app that

1.3 GHz quad-core processor,

offers theft insurance of upto

3,000mAh battery and has a

Rs. 15,000 and SIM misuse

1280x720p AMOLED display

insurance cover of Rs. 3,000.

with Gorilla Glass 3 coating. It

Many of the apps are useful

has 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal

but, to load a handset with so

Classy and goodlooking

memory, 32 GB expandable

many apps, many of which

Features

memory, an 8.0 megapixel

a user would never use, is

camera in the rear and a 2.0

equivalent to depriving a user

Boasts of 720p AMOLED display, only 8 GB internal storage,

megapixel camera in front.

of valuable real estate on the

Performance

These are pretty good features

phone.

and not many handsets in this

at that price point. However,

Weight | 136 grams

relatively low prices today, the most affordable ones for

performs well and has a brilliant display. If these are

verdict Looks

Good battery back-up, smooth performance

09 /10

enough for you, it is worth a try. However, it does have some very tough competitors. For instance, the Yu Yureka

08 /10

has more internal memory, a bigger display, is powered by a 64-bit Snapdragon 615

08 /10

Ease of Use

09 /10

Value For Money

08 /10

octa-core processor, has 2 GB RAM, 13.0 megapixel rear, 5.0 megapixel front camera

budget had them a year ago.

Cool customer

Today, there are numerous

The Canvas Hue handled all

handsets with similar specs

tasks thrown at it with comfort,

and some even superior to it.

including games. It comes with

The Zenfone 5, The Yu Yureka

a reliable battery that gives

or the Xiaomi Redmi 4G are

more than a day with regular

some of the handsets offering

use like calling, movies, and

Redmi Note 4G, which offers

better specs at the same price

Web browsing very well. The

4G, a bigger display, 13.0

or even lesser price. As far

display is impressive, has good

megapixel camera, 2 GB

as the AMOELD display is

viewing angles and is a treat to

RAM and 3,100mAh battery

concerned, there is the Galaxy

use. Games and movies looks

for Rs. 9,999. There is also

S3 Neo from Samsung, with

really well on it. Its camera

a 720p AMOLED display and

is just an 8.0 megapixel

a Snapdragon 400 quad-core

affair but, is quick and quite

processor and 16 GB internal

powerful, even when it is

memory, which is selling at

being used indoors. The front

Rs. 12,499. Still, all said and

facing camera is just passable

done, the Canvas Hue does

and a little blurry. Overall, the

www.mymobile.co.in

Tried & Tested

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Compact and lightweight Decent price but up against tough competition

and supports 4G. It is priced at Rs. 8,999, which is lower than the Canvas Hue, but then Yu Yureka has availability issues and is selling only via Amazon.

OVERALL

84%

PROS

Cons

Impressive display, Good looks, Long lasting battery

Glossy finish is prone to smudges, Too many pre-loaded apps

in. You can also try the Xiaomi

the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo, which is now selling at Rs. 12,499 with a 720p AMOLED display, a quad-core processor, 1.5 GB RAM, and 16 GB internal storage. n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 61

Tried & Tested

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More Mi Magic

Xiaomiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mi 4 offers great specs for a great price

he first Xiaomi phone to hit India, the Mi 3, certainly

changed the whole pricingspecification paradigm in the market, making consumers realise that you did not need a bucketful of cash to acquire a device with flagship level hardware. The company is now trying to repeat the performance with the successor to the Mi 3, the Mi 4. Does it succeed?

Different, but delightfully compact, design If you were a great fan of the design of the Mi 3 (we were, we confess), then the Mi 4 will come as a bit of a surprise to you. For while the Mi 3 was a mix of metal and glass, the Mi 4 has a very prominent plastic component. Mind you, the entire phone rests on a rock solid metal frame. The front has the 5.0-inch display with three touch buttons below it for Home, Menu and Back, and a 8.0-megapixel camera above it. The right side houses the volume rocker and power buttons and the left is totally plain but for the SIM card slot. The top of the phone has the 3.5 mm audio jack and the infra red port and right on the base is a speaker grille and a micro USB port. The back is plastic and curves gently outwards and on close inspection, has a subtle mesh like pattern

62 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

beneath the surface. Bang in

a conspicuous absence. The

the top centre of it is the 13.0

cameras are as powerful as

megapixel camera with a flash

ever - the one on the rear is

below it.

13.0-megapixel while the

No, it is not as striking as the

front facing camera is 8.0-

metal hued Mi 3 was, but

Xiaomi Mi4

notch performer. We can see some people quibbling over the

tech specs

absence of 4G, but given the relative absence of the network in India, that is not as big a

megepixels. The Mi 4 runs

Dimensions | 139.2 x 68.5 x 8.9 mm

we were struck by just how

on Android KitKat (4.4) and

Weight | 149 grams

limited storage, which at 16

compact the Mi 4 is. At a

running on top of this is the

OS | Android OS v4.4

GB is distinctly on the lower

time when phones are getting

latest version of Xiaomiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s MIUI

bigger, Xiaomi has squeezed a

- MIUI 6, which is a massive

5.0-inch display into a frame

upgrade over the MIUI 5 we

that is much shorter (139.2

saw on the Mi 3.

mm to 144 mm) and less wide the Mi 3 which had a display of

Great performance... as usual

a similar size. The bezels have

And the Mi 4 is no paper

been trimmed, making this

tiger. Just as the Mi 3, it

one of the most hand-friendly

churns out a very impressive

large screen devices we have

performance. The display

seen, putting it right up there

is one of the best we have

with the Nexus 5. It is slightly

seen for a while in terms of

thicker than the Mi 3 (8.9

brightness and vibrance, and

mm to 8.1 mm), but at 145

colours just leap out at you,

grammes is just four grammes

although some might find it a

heavier. Those who love metal

tad oversaturated at times. The

might not like the design of

phone handled just about every

the Mi 4, but we must confess

app and every task we gave

that we love its feel and sheer

it with a modicum of ease.

compactness.

The cameras turned in a very

(68.5 mm to 73.6 mm) than

Powerful hardware... as usual

impressive performance too, with the front camera taking some spectacular selfies, while

Display | 5.0-inch, 1080x1920p

side when you consider what

Price: Rs. 19,999

verdict

Features

No 4G or expandable memory, but well specced otherwise.

Performance

Top notch as usual, espeically the display and camera.

Conclusion At Rs. 19,999, the Mi 4 surprisingly low price, just like the Mi 3 did. However, unlike the Mi 3, which was in a league

BT/WiFi | Yes/Yes

Not as good looking as the Mi 3, but very smart and compact.

the competition is offering.

offers very good hardware at a

Storage | 16 GB

Looks

shortcoming as is perhaps the

08 /10

of its own, it faces some very tough competition as a number of players have now entered the highspecs-affordable price game. Prominent among them are the Lenovo Vibe X2, which offers an octa core processor and dual SIM connectivity (with 4G support) and 32 GB

08 /10

storage at the same price; the Huawei Honor 6 which comes with expandable memory,

09 /10

an octa core processor and 4G support at a price of Rs. 17,999; and perhaps most

But if Xiaomi has tweaked

the main camera captured

the design of the Mi 4, it

colours brilliantly (although we

has definitely not gone easy

would have liked a bit more of

on hardware. Just as the Mi

detail sometimes). The new

3 did, the Mi 4 comes with

version of MIUI looks very

staggeringly good hardware

different from its predecessor

- the 5.0-inch display is a

with more colours and flatter

full HD one, and powering

looking icons as well as some

it is a quad core Qualcomm

very neat touches (apps

And there is the little matter

Snapdragon 801 processor

disintegrate into a shower of

of availability - as the Mi 4 is

with 3 GB RAM. Storage, as

dots when you uninstall them,

available only from Flipkart,

in the Mi 3 is limited to 16

a plane takes off in the icon for

GB (we hear a 64 GB variant

Airplane mode, and so on). The

is coming as we go to print)

Mi 4 also comes with very good

and is non-expandable.

sound quality and call quality

Connectivity options include

too is a notch above that of the

3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS

Mi 3. No matter which angle

and Infra-red, with 4G being

you look at it from, this is a top

www.mymobile.co.in

Ease of Use

MIUI 6 is a treat for the eyes and works smoothly too.

Value For Money

At that price, it is excellent hardware and software.

Tried & Tested

burntest

09 /10

of all, the OnePlus One which has a larger 5.5 inch display, a massive 64 GB of storage,

09 /10

OVERALL

a similar processor and RAM and 4G support for only slightly more (Rs. 21,999), and also

86%

PROS

Cons

Great hardware, MIUI 6 interface, Very compact design

Some might not like the plastic back, No 4G, No expandable memory

runs Cyanogen (although that is set to change in India).

you will have to be very quick on the click to be able to grab it before it is sold out. Our advice? If you want a compact, powerful phone with a great camera and display, grab it! n team@mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 63

Special

exclusive

Luxury Calling

The Lamborghini phone a phone that costs six thousand dollars? well, that is the Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri, which combines cutting edge hardware with exclusive materials to deliver phone luxury at its best. no phone will turn more heads, we wager. By Nimish Dubey

or many people, the word Lamborghini is synonymous with luxury and class. Now imagine combining it with a high-end smartphone. Well, if you are lucky you would get something on the lines

of the rather amazing Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri, which is one of the last words in luxury smartphones

Head turner? Head twister! We have seen our share of luxury phones, but none turned heads quite the way in which the 88 Tauri did. The phone is a terrific blend of glass, metal and leather, making it quite unlike anything we have ever seen before. The phone is quite big- it is 158 mm long and 80 mm wide and at 13.6 mm, is one of the thickest phones we have used in recent times (it is almost twice as thick as the iPhone 6, for those who like comparisons). And at 250 grammes, it is also one of the heaviest, and will not fit into most pockets easily. The big question, of course, is WHY on earth would anyone want to keep the phone in their pockets? For the Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri radiates luxury. The display is a 5.0-

(some felt they were almost like car doors). Take it from us, if

inch full HD one, but unlike other devices, there is no attempt

you hold this phone up on a sunny day, you will blind a fair

to cut down bezels. No, if anything, the sides of the phone grab

number of people with the glare. A note about the display - it

your eyes right away, for they are shiny gold and dark leather.

is scratch resistant and shatter proof and uses the same glass

There are three touch buttons beneath the display - hey, this is

used in Lamborghini cars!

an Android device after all - but we bet most eyes will instead

The back is predominantly leather, although once again the

be riveted to the metallic raging bull logo right beneath them,

gold plated metal sections are very much present. There is a

flanked by gold bars and with a leather â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;chinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; below it. Bordering

gold thread stitch running right down the middle of the back,

the display on both sides is gold plated metal, with SIM and

and there is another metal raging bull logo. Oh, and for the

microSD card slot covers that open out on solid metallic hinges

geeks, there is a camera too. We found the back with its metal

64 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

Special

exclusive

talked of the 5.0-inch full HD display. Well, in that massive frame is also lodged a quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at a very respectable 2.3 GHz and backed up with 3 GB RAM. Storage stands at 64 GB and can be expanded via a microSD card.The camera on the rear is a 20.0-megapixel one and has a dual LED flash, while that in front is an 8.0-megapixel affair. The phone supports dual SIM connectivity and comes with support for LTE, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS among other connectivity options. And running on top of it all is Android KitKat 4.4, with a number of special Lamborghini wallpapers, as well as 13 exclusive ringtones created by disc jockey DJ Ravin especially for this phone. Making sure all this runs smoothly is a 3,400 mAh battery. No, there has been no compromise on specs here - this is a flagship Android running inside a designer beast.

plates screwed into the leather slightly industrial in appearance, as compared to the front, but once again, there is no doubting the fact that this is a phone that screams “I do not come cheap.” Each phone is assembled by hand and has a unique device number. Exclusive indeed!

With some powerful hardware too And in a welcome change from other ‘luxury’ phones which tend to stress design at the cost of hardware, the Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri packs in some very powerful specs indeed. We have already

www.mymobile.co.in

Conclusion Of course, all that gold plating and leather finish comes at a price. The Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri will set you back by a massive six thousand US Dollars. And getting it will not be easy - there are only 1947 pieces of each colour available to represent the year of birth of Tonino Lamborghini. No, this is not a phone for everyone. But if you want a phone to turn heads every time you place it on the table or raise it to your ears to speak, this is perhaps the one. Provided your pockets are deep enough. To bear its weight. And its price. n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

March 2015 | 65

Tech Lists

Cellclues

Power in your Hands - 5 Great

Power Banks with battery life of smartphones decreasing even our dependence on them increases, a power bank is a must to keep your phone ticking. hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our look at five power banks that will never leave you short-charged! By Mukesh Kumar Singh

f one were to ask the main concern that many people have about their smartphones these days, we are sure that battery life will come close at the top of the list. Yes, phones might have got more powerful than ever before, and got multiple core processors and RAM and

storage that were once the preseve of PCs, but with all this power has also come a severe drain on battery life. A decade ago, one could get through an entire week by just charging oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s phone a couple of times. Today, most users would consider themselves fortunate if they do not have to charge their phones more than once a day. Higher resolution displays, cameras with massive megapixel counts, a host of sensors many of which switch off, and the app revolution that makes one use several apps (ranging from games to mail to social networks) ensure that the battery on our devices keeps ebbing away. One way to ensure that you do not keep looking out for a charging point is to invest in a portable charger, which you can use whenever you need to juice up your device. And of those available in the market, these five are definitely worth investing in:

Xiaomi Mi 10400 mAh Power Bank

iaomi has launched a10,400 mAH Power bank in the market with a Lithium

battery which allows users to easily charge their handset. And just as their phones, it comes at a surprisingly low price - a mere Rs 999. But it does not look cheap by any means - it weighs 250 grammes, and actually looks very attractive with an aluminum body which protects it from drops and bumps. It comes with a On and Off button and has four LED power indicators, which help you keep track of the amount of charge left in the device. The power bank has a micro USB

Price: Rs. 999

66 | march 2015

and a standard USB, and is available in different colours. Fantastic value for the price!

MYMOBILE

Recharge Plus 5200 mAh power Bank

e cannot ignore Recharge Plus in the Power Bank segment. The company has launched many power

banks and the latest of these is the Recharge Plus 5200 mAh power bank which can completely charges your device at a brisk rate. This device is capable of charging the phone, tablet, camera and other devices as well. Recharge Plus 5200 mAh comes with a LED indicator, and is compact enough to easily

Price: Rs.1,799

be carried anywhere.

Nokia DC-19 USB Charger

Sony CP-V4 Power Bank

ony has some excellent power banks in its product portfolio,

device in 200 minutes. It is amazingly lightweight

mAh battery. This slim power bank

charged. Sony claims that it charges

and its power banks are no exception to this.

with 3,200 mAh Li-Ion battery which can charge a

power bank, which comes with a 3,800

USB port over which it can itself be

okia has always had some very good accessories

Our favourite is the cylindrical shaped DC-19 charger

and one of the best ones is the CP-V4

comes with a USB port and a micro

Tech Lists

Cellclues

Price: Rs.1,800

devices extremely fast, which is surely

at 78 grams and is not bulky in size, allowing users to carry it easily in their pockets. And well, it cuts a snazzy figure thanks to its being available in a variety of colours. The device has a 25 cm cable and a LED to let users keep track of the charge left. Some

a boon in these times. It weighs 112

might find it a tad expensive, but then, it does look

grams and is easy to carry anywhere.

very stylish.

The device has an LED indicator to let users keep track of just how much juice there is left, and when they need to recharge the device.

Amkette 2600 mAh Power Bank

his power bank from Amkette comes with a 2,600 mAh Samsung Lithium ion battery which can charge a device

safely as well as at a decent clip. Most importantly, the device itself is light, compact and small enough to be carried anywhere. This power bank has stylish design with sleek and slim body. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more, it comes with a battery which can stay 90 per cent charged, even if not used for 30 days. The portable charger has four LED indicators and has five layer coating to protect it from overheating and short circuits. Quite classy we think and just the thing for those who value portability. n

Price: Rs. 1,990 www.mymobile.co.in

mukesh@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs.1,200 march 2015 | 67

Boredombuster

WWE Immortals Fight, fight!

he idea of WWE has always been that of a ring based

the game remains grounded to hand-to-hand combat. The

game with incredibly muscular men and women

game comes with brilliant graphics and simple gameplay.

trying to beat the wind out of each other. WWE

Despite the brilliant graphics and ease of play, the game

Immortals ships your favourite stars to a mystic location

tends to get a bit monotonous after a while as you end up

with fire breathing mountains in the background instead

using the same moves and gestures again and again. It is a

of a stadium filled with fans. The list includes every top

huge game with a file size of 1.3 GB, but can work without

name in the WWE fan book, including the likes of The Rock,

Internet connectivity and comes minus a price tag. We can

John Cena and Undertaker. What’s more, they are dressed

see WWE fans loving it! Available from: Google Play, iTunes app

in warrior-like attire and armed with swords, even though

store, Windows Phone (Free). n

Baby Bollywood’s Shoot

‘Em Up!

eleasing mobile games along with

has little to keep one engaged beyond the four

high profile films is becoming a rage

missions and has a rather one dimensional

in Bollywood. The Akshay Kumar

approach where all that is required of you is a

starrer Baby is the latest Bollywood movie to

tap on the screen. On the flip side, it can keep

get the mobile game treatment, and like its

you occupied for a while as it has virtually no

predecessors, it treads on familiar, simple

learning curve and tackling those four missions

ground. Baby is a simple 2D shooting

even in the simplest of the three modes can

game with a plain background

be challenging. The game is free but you will

brimming with terrorists coming

need to put up with a number of ads as you

for you with guns of all shapes and

play. Available from: Google Play, iTunes app

sizes. The game lacks depth and

68 | march 2015

store (Free). n

MYMOBILE

Top Eleven 15 Football strategy at its best

op Eleven is among

more on strategy than graphics.

the longest running

It remains true to core issues like

football manager

managing teams, hiring staff,

franchises on the mobile

finding the best players, keeping

p l a t f o r m . To p E l e v e n

them healthy, managing the

2015 is the latest edition

finances, developing the stadiums

of this online football

- jobs a real football manager

strategy game where your

would be involved in. The game

understanding and love

offers a bigger pool of players and

for the game is put to

leagues. Online connectivity is a

test. It is small sized,

must, though. If you wish to run a

simple to follow (we

football club your way, Top Eleven

have seen some really

15 is a game worth downloading.

complicated ones) and in

Available from: Google Play, iTunes

the Top Eleven tradition, focuses

Game On

Boredombuster

app store (Free). n

ICC Pro Cricket 2015 Officially impressive

The ICC Pro Cricket 2015, the official game

a career mode where you can create a team of your

for the 2015 World Cup, comes from Disney

own and take on other teams.It is available as a free

Games and Indiagames. And while some

download but comes with in-app purchases. If you

might wince at its 450MB size, the game with its rich

are crazy about cricket, this is one

gameplay and stunning graphics comes as a welcome

game that should be on your phone.

change from the horde of mediocre cricket games that

Available from: Google Play, iOS (Free) n

still show up on mobile platforms. ICC Pro Cricket is

abhijit@mymobile.co.in

not without flaws but to attempt to deliver a console game like experience on a mobile device is laudable. The game is a little buggy, especially if you have a low configuration smartphone and sometimes takes a long time to load. However, the gameplay is engaging, even challenging if you are up against a tough opponent, and visually livelier than any of the cricket games we have seen in the past on the mobile platform. It offers modes like World Cup, where you can lead any of the teams playing in the tournament and there is

www.mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 69

Software

SMARTAPP S ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 For those wanting the official ‘line’

Rating



very sports event hath its official app, and the 2015 cricket World Cup is no different in this regard. Made with the blessings of the ICC (cricket’s ruling body), the app is not

as colourful and feature rich as some of the other cricket apps out there (most notably the incredibly comprehensive one from Cricinfo), but wins marks for a neat and clean interface. If you want an uncluttered and simple app to follow the tournament, then this is definitely the one for you. You have information about the teams, player profiles and also venue details. There is a news hub with columns from renowned personalities and also a section for videos. Those wanting discussions and live polls can check out the social hub. And of course, all this is rounded off by the live coverage, which is mainly through text, but also contains video clippings of key events. All this in a clear, unobtrusive design. A bit plain, we agree, but fairly comprehensive. Available from: iOS, Android (Free)

Rating



Picturesque Beautiful lock screens!

f you love having different, good-looking lockscreens (what appears on your display when the screen is locked, but not switched off) then Microsoft’s

Picturesque is definitely an app that you must try out. The app is designed to deliver information to your lockscreen combined with some amazing images from Bing. The result is an incredibly sleek app that lurks over your main screen and delivers the latest news, weather, shows regional calendar information (we set it to the Hindu calendar), and also lets you search the Web right from the lockscreen, without unlocking the display. Round that off with shortcuts to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness, volume settings and even a torch, and Picturesque comes across as a very handy app indeed, albeit one with a very strong flavour of Bing. You can set the images that appear as your wallpaper if you wish, and change them with just a shake of your phone. And no, contrary to what we feared, there was no significant drain of battery either. All of which makes it a very good option for those who want an information-rich and yet beautiful lock screen for their devices, minor bugs aside. Available from: Android (Free)

70 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

Rockstand An e-bookstore for India

Rating

Software

SMARTAPP S 

hen it comes to apps for e-books, most people think of Kindle and Kobo. But there are other options too and one of the very best for Indian

users is Rockstand. What makes the app stand apart from the likes of the Kindle and Kobo is the fact that it focuses very heavily on Indian content. So you don’t just have the usual mainstream newspapers magazines but very large ones in Hindi as well as other regional languages. The app claims to be affiliated with more than a thousand publishers and offers a number of books, newspapers and magazines, with some newspapers even becoming available at 12 am, well before their print editions hit the stands. On the e-book front, the app focuses more on competitive exam material rather than conventional bestsellers. And its prices are very competitive indeed, with a number of newspapers being offered free of cost. Newspapers and magazines are exact replications of their paper counterparts, and come with options to share content on social networks – we actually think they work best on large screens. The app itself is free, and if you are looking for Indian content in the e-publishing, one of the best around. Available from: iOS, Android, Windows Phone (Free) Rating



Outlook Adding a new spin to e-mail

icrosoft had won accolades for its Outlook mail service and now has come out with a mail app for iOS and Android (where it is in a preview

version at the time of writing). The app supports all major e-mail services like Yahoo and Google, and also comes with Exchange and iCloud support as well as integration with cloud storage services like Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. Setting up your mail account is as easy in most cases as entering your username and password. And it is then that the power of the app really comes to the fore. Outlook divides your mail into two sections – Focused and Other, letting you see important mails at a glimpse. There is also an integrated calendar, and in a very handy touch, you can also attach files stored in different cloud services. You can also schedule mails to be read at a certain time. The interface is basically a matter of swipes and is uncluttered and clean. Honestly, we like it. A lot. Good enough to replace your default mail app, we think. Available from: iOS, Android (Free) n nimishdubey@mymobile.co.in

www.mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 71

Great Deals

mobilesensex

bazaar bargain It was originally launched as the more affordable version of the Lumia 1520, but the Lumia 1320 remains a formidable device to this day. Its 6.0-inch 720p HD display is excellent for viewing videos and for actually working on MS Office documents, and the quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor allied with 1 GB RAM still works brilliantly to ensure that you get a great Windows Phone experience. It comes with the usual Lumia navigational muscle, is excellent at handling multimedia and while some might feel a bit let down by the adequate rather than exceptional 5.0-megapixel camera, the massive 3,400 mAh battery ensures that it can see through a week of hefty use with only two or three charges. A fantastic phone for those who value productivity. n

Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo Launched at: Rs. 26, 200 Current Price: Rs. 12,999 Price fall: 50.39 per cent

Microsoft Lumia 1320 Launched at: Rs. 23,999 Current Price: Rs. 13,499 Price fall: 43.75 per cent

72 | march 2015

It might be slightly more than a year old, but Samsungâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Galaxy 3 Neo remains a very good device indeed. It was launched to give Samsung a foothold in the mid-segment part of the smartphone market and at Rs. 12,999 is staggeringly good value for money. The phone sports a delightful 4.8-inch 720p Super AMOLED display and is powered by a quad core processor and 1.5 GB RAM. It also comes with a very good 8.0-megapixel camera and a 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera. Round that off with an 8.6 mm thin frame and a smart look and this remains a phone to flaunt even now. Some might quibble at the older version of Android (4.3), but we think it runs quite brilliantly even now.n team@mymobile.co.in

MYMOBILE

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MYGUIDE While My Mobile tries to ensure accuracy in the pricing and features any discrepancies that may emerge are beyond our control. Please check with the retailer about features of the phone before buying. The ratings that have been included are from the burn tests of the phones that we have reviewed. Feel free to update us.

(Last updated on Feb 7, 2015) Devices featured in the My Guide have been segregated into four categories baswed on price and colour-coded as:

Nokia Sub-entry level (up to Rs 2,499) Entry-level (Rs 2,500 - Rs 5,999) Mid-level

(Rs 6,000 - Rs 11,999)

High-level

(Rs 12,000 upwards)

CDMA Tablet Lifestyle

Disclaimer : The prices quoted in My Guide are the Best Buy prices quoted by the respective companies, ex-Delhi. The prices may vary on account of promotional schemes or dealer discretion. M.O.P. mentiond in My Guide are not applicable in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

NR stands for not reviewed M.O.P. stands for Market Operating Price

MYMOBILE

MARCH 2015 I 75

MYGUIDE MICROSOFT

MICROSOFT

MODELS

MICROSOFT

PARAMETERS Nokia 105

Nokia 130

Nokia 108

Nokia 220 Dual SIM

Nokia 225

Nokia Asha 230

Nokia Asha 501

Dimension (mm)

107 x 44.8 x 14.3

106 x 45.5 x 13.9

110.4 x 47 x 13.5

116.4 x 50.3 x 13.2

124 x 55.5 x 10.4

99.5 x 58.6 x 13.2

99.2 x 58 x 12.1

Weight (grams)

67.9

69.9

83.4

100.6

89.3

Model

12/840

13/624

13.8/600

24/576

21/648

12/504

17/624

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.45

65,536/1.8

262,144/2.4

262,144/2.8

262,144/3.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8MB/No

NA/32GB

4MB/32GB

-/32GB

NA/32GB

64MB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/No

1.3MP/No/No

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

500

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Series 30

Nokia OS

Asha software 1.1

Asha software 1.3

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

No/Yes

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,100

1,450

1,520

2,560

3,199

3,430

3,199

MICROSOFT

MODELS

MICROSOFT

PARAMETERS Nokia 206

Nokia Asha 210

Nokia 502

Nokia Lumia 520

Nokia Lumia 530

Nokia Lumia 630

Nokia X+

Dimension (mm)

116 x 49 x 12.4

111.5 x 60 x 11.8

99.6 x 59.5 x 11.1

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

119.7 x 62.3 x 11.7

129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2

115.5 x 63 x 10.4

Weight (grams)

97.3

100

124

129

134

128.7

20/680

12/1104

13.7/576

14/360

13.4/528

16.4/648

13.3/408

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours) Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/2.4

262,144/3.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

64MB/32GB

8GB/64GB

4GB/128GB

8GB/128GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G

Dual SIM/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

Series 40

Asha software 1.5

Windows Phone 8

Music Player/FM Radio

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

3,450

4,400

4,900

5,990

6,430

7,550

7,790

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs 76 I MARCH 2015

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1

Yes/Yes/HSDPA Nokia X software platform

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE MICROSOFT

MICROSOFT

MODELS

MICROSOFT

PARAMETERS Model

Nokia X2

Nokia XL

Nokia Lumia 525

Lumia 535

Nokia Lumia 630

Nokia Lumia 625

Dimension (mm)

121.7 x 68.3 x 11.1

141.4 x 77.7 x 10.9

129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2

119.9 x 64 x 9.9

140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8

129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2

133.2 x 72.2 x 9.2

Weight (grams)

150

190

136

124

146

134

159

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Nokia Lumia 638

10/552

16/720

16.4/648

17/336

11/336

16.4/648

23.9/768

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16illiom/5.0

16million/4.5

16.7million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G/4G Operating System

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Nokia X software platform Nokia X software platform

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Quad Band/No Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,200

7,800

8,000

8,100

9,100

9,000

13,900

MICROSOFT

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL

MODELS

MICROSOFT

PARAMETERS Model

Nokia Lumia 730

Nokia Lumia 1320

Nokia Lumia 925

ADCOM

Nokia Lumia 830

Nokia Lumia 1020

Nokia Lumia 1520

X14

Dimension (mm)

134.7 x 68.5 x 8.7

164.2 x 85.9 x 9.8

129 x 70.6 x 8.5

139.4x70.7x8.5

130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4

162.8 x 85.4 8.7

126 x 55 x 15

Weight (grams)

130

220

139

150

158

209

22/600

25/672

18.3/432

12.9/528

19.1/384

27.4/768

30/120

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16.7million/4.7

16million/6.0

16.7million/4.5

16million/5.0

16.7million/4.5

16million/6.0

262,144/2.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/No

16GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

16GB/64GB

32MB/8GB

Yes/Yes

32GB/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

6.7MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.7MP/Yes/Yes

10.0MP/Yes/Yes

41.0MP/Yes/Yes

20.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

150

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1 Windows Phone 8.1

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/No/N0

Windows Phone 8

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

14,700

13,499

22,200

25,800

28,000

36,000

1,249

MARCH 2015 I 77

MYGUIDE (UP TO Rs 2,499)

(UP TO Rs 2,499)

MODELS

SUB-ENTRY LEVEL (UP TO R s 2,499)

PARAMETERS Model

ADCOM

CELKON

HITECH

MAXX

SAMSUNG

X28

A352E

Pride 369

MX153

MX555

Guru Music 2

Metro 312

Dimension (mm)

127 x 56x 12

115 x 62 x 10.7

133 x 56 x 9.5

112.5 x 45.5 x 14

122.8 x 51 x 9.8

112.7 x 46.4 x 13.1

Weight (grams)

108

96.5

74.98

73.7

Talktime/Standby (hours)

30/120

11/96

3/230

-/350

NA/350

11/800

12/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

256K/2.8

16million/3.5

262,144/2.8

65,536/1.8

NA/2.6

65,536/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32MB/8GB

512MB/32Gb

-/32GB

NA/NA

NA/16GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

No/No

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

1.3MP/No/Yes

2.0/No/Yes

VGA/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

1.3 MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

VGA/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

150

Shared

200

300

1000

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band /GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM

Yes/No/No

2G/Yes/Yes

Yes/No/No

No/No/No

Yes/No/Yes

No/No/No

Android 4.2.2

Nucleus

Proprietary

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

1,299

2,299

1,499

1,000

2,300

1,850

2,800

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

ENTRY LEVEL (Rs 2,500-5,999)

ADCOM

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

BLOOM

400

440Plus

A50

OT 2005D

OT 4007D PIXI

Dimension (mm)

126 x 66 x 13

136.36 X 66.36 x 8.8

145 x 70 x 9

120 x 50 x 9.95

115 x 62.3 x 12.2

121.5 x 63.7 x 10.5

119 x 61.2 x 10.6

Weight (grams)

152

135

162

118

104

108

Talktime/Standby (hours)

GLOBE B35

NEW

GLOBE 3.5 3G

NEW

11/72

14/425

13/500

3/100

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/4 inch

16million/5.0

262,155/2.4

262,144/3.5

-/3.5

-/3.5 Inch

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

128 MB/8GB

512MB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

3MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 78 I MARCH 2015

Qual BandGSM+GSM Qual BandGSM+GSM Qual BandGSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band+GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes /No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v2.3

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

2,599

3,499

3,999

2,750

4,933

2,499

2,599

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

BLOOM

PARAMETERS Model

GLOBE 4.0 Lite

A354C

A35K

WIN400

126 x 63 x 9.5

138 x 66 x 9.3

126 x 63 x 9.5

115.5 x 61 x 10.3

119 x 63 x 10.7

130 x 59 x 10.0

Weight (grams)

131

128

152

130

104.67

120

Talktime/Standby (hours)

3/100

100/3

4/120

10/90

11/96

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

-/4.0

-/4.5

-/4

16million/3.5

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32

2GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Globe Lite 3G

CELKON

Dimension (mm)

NEW

GLOBE 4.5 Lite

NEW

GLOBE B40 IPS

NEW

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/Yes/Yes

2MP/Yes/Yes

2MP+VGA/Yes/Yes

5MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band+GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.4

Android 4OS v.4

Android OS v4.4

Windows Phone 8.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

2,999

3,999

2,570

2,940

4,979

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

CHEERS

PARAMETERS

HITECH

Model

MI Smart

Smart 40

Smart X

Smart 5

Smart Turbo

AMAZE S305

Amaze S411

Dimension (mm)

107 X 51

117 X 55

115 X 53

131 X 61

130 X 62

116.8 x 60.9 x 10.7

122 x 63 x 9.5

Weight (grams)

108

106

142

156

102

Talktime/Standby (hours)

7/-

4/200

3/180

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

-/3.5

-/4.0

4.0

-/5.0

16million/3.5

16million/4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

2GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

5MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

2MP/Yes/Yes

3.2MP/Yes /Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual BandGSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Rx only/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/Yes

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android 4.4

Android 4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

2,999

3,999

4,999

5,299

2,999

3,299

MARCH 2015 I 79

MYGUIDE (Rs 2,500-5,999)

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

PARAMETERS Model

HITECH

KARBONN

LAVA

AIR A1

A26

A35

S99 Titanium

356 3G

Iris 406Q

Optimus L3 II Single

Dimension (mm)

131 x 66 x 9.7

133 x 66 x 9.7

116.9 x 62.5 x 12.6

124 x 64.5 x 10.3

102.6 x 61.1 x 11.9

Weight (grams)

127

130

112

125

Talktime/Standby (hours)

3/180

5/200

5/168

5/200

8/480

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.5

16million/4.8

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

16illion/4.0

262,144/3.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

-/32GB

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes /Yes

5MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

1.3MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Qual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android 4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

4,799

4,900

5,100

5,990

3,900

5,500

5,000

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

MODELS

(Rs 2,500-5,999)

PARAMETERS

SAMSUNG

SPICE

Model

Optimus L3II Dual

Champ Neo Duos C3262

Galaxy Star 2

Galaxy Star Pro

Mi 356

Steller 445

Steller 436

Dimension (mm)

102.9 x 61.3 x 11.9

96.9 x 54.3 x 13.5

109.8 x 59.9 x 11.8

121.2 x 62.7 x 10.6

119.9 x 63 x 11.5

125 x 56 x 10.5

125 x 65.8 x 11.5

Weight (grams)

110

107.6

121

112

100

Talktime/Standby (hours)

16/730

14/550

15/370

7.5/120

4.5/170

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/3.2

262,144/2.4

262,144/3.5

16million/4.0

16million/3.5

262,144/4.0

16million/4.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

20MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

-/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

3.2MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.1

Proprietary

Android OS v4.1

Android OS, v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,900

3,000

4,500

5,000

3,300

4,000

5,300

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 80 I MARCH 2015

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE MID LEVEL (R s 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-11,999)

ALCATEL

PARAMETERS Model

BLACKBERRY

CELKON

HITECH

OT 8000D

OT 6012D IDOL MINI

Curve 9320

Q455

Q500

Q550

Air A6

Dimension (mm)

143 x 78.4 X 9.8

127.1 x 62 x 7.9

109 x 60 x 12.7

136.5 x 68 x 7.9

145.6 x 71.8 x 8

152 x 76 x 8

147.8 x 72.8 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

163

103

130

149

143.8

150

Talktime/Standby (hours)

16/15

9/540

7/432

15/200

24.4/300

4/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/NA

16million/4.3

65,536/2.44

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32 GB

8GB/None

512MB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

shared

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.1

BlackBerry OS 7.1

Android OS v4.4

Android 4.4

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

9,999

7,999

8,000

6,999

9,599

9,999

6,999

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

HTC

PARAMETERS

IDEA

KARBONN

Model

Desire 310 Plus

Aurus III

Aurus IV

Sparkle V

S5+ Titanium

Titanium Octen

Dimension (mm)

132.4 x 68 x 11.3

113x66x10.4

145.7 x 71.2 x 7.9

147.3 x 72.6 x 7.6

Weight (grams)

140

138

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Titanium Octen Plus

11/852

7/350

7.5/400

8/160

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

1.4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Shred

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

9,100

7,790

8,999

5,900

7,397

9,990

11,900

MARCH 2015 I 81

MYGUIDE (R s 6000-11,999)

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

LAVA

PARAMETERS

MICROMAX

Optimus L5 II E450

Optimus L5 II Dual

Iris X1

Irish 506Q

Iris Fuel 60

Irish X5

Dimension (mm)

134 x 66 x 8.9

143 x 73 x 8.9

144.8 x 72.8 x 10.2

143.5 x 71.5 x 7.7

117.5 x 62.2 x 9.2

132x67x9.15

Weight (grams)

138

174

134

103

136

Model

9.7/-

5.3/230

32/-

6/200

10/642

6/160

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

10.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,100

8,800

8,888

8,650

8,050

8,800

6,499

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

MICROMAX

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

Unite 2

Canvas Xpress A99

Canvas Doodle 3

Galaxy Ace NXT

Galaxy Star 2Plus

Galaxy S duos 3

Galaxy Win

Dimension (mm)

138.9 x 71.9 x 9.4

132.4 x 64.5 x 8.65

121.4 x 62.9 x 10.7

129.7 x 65.9 x 9.4

121.4 x 62.9 x 10.8

133.3 x 70.7 x 9.7

Weight (grams)

158

143

123

124

143.9

8/190

7/240

9/260

-/-

7/-

11/210

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

16million/4.5

16million/6.0

16million/4.0

65,536/4.3

16million/4.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.5MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

SharedQuad

Shared

Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android v4.2

Android v4.4

Android OS v4.4

Android v4.1

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,999

6,500

8,000

5,600

6,250

7,050

7,680

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 82 I MARCH 2015

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE (R s 6000-11,999)

(Rs 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(Rs 6000-11,999)

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS

SONY

Model

Galaxy Core 2

Galaxy Core Prime

E1 Dual

Xperia M

Xperia E3

Xperia E3 Dual

Dimension (mm)

130.3 x 68 x 9.8

130.8 x 67.9 x 8.8

118 x 62.4 x 12

124 x 62 x 9.3

137.1 x 69.4 x 8.5

Weight (grams)

138

130

120

115

143

Talktime/Standby (hours)

-/-

8.2/498

10.16/498

12.2/70

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,144/4.5

16million/4.5

16million/4.0

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

7,800

9,400

6,000

7,100

9,350

9,900

10,800

(Rs 6000-11,999)

(R s 6000-11,999)

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

SONY

PARAMETERS

SPICE

VIVO

Stellar Virtuoso Pro Mi 496

Dream UNO Mi

Coolpad MI-515

Y15

Y22

140 x 73 x 9.9

131.4 x 66.2 x 8.98

130.5 × 65.9 × 8.63

Model

Xperia M Dual

Steller 509

Dimension (mm)

124 x 62 x 9.3

145x79 x9.5

132x67x9.15

Weight (grams)

115

120

138

161

130

126

10.16/498

4/192

17/160

-/410 hrs

-/640

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.5inches

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

NA/32GB

4GB/32GB

4GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Android v4.0

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

11,850

6,200

6,000

6,299

7,500

8,990

10,990

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

MARCH 2015 I 83

MYGUIDE (Rs 6000-11,999)

HIGH LEVEL Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

(R s 6000-11,999)

XOLO

PARAMETERS

ALCATEL

Q710S

Q1000 Opus

Q900

Opus 3

Omega 5

OT 6030

Idol X+

Dimension (mm)

135 x 67 x 8.5

143.3 x 72.9 x 9

137 x 70 x 9.9

143 x 71.3 x 8.8

144 x 72 x 10.5

133 x 67.5 x 7.9

140.4 x 69.1 x 7.9

Weight (grams)

138

110

130

Model

22/640

18/700

13/384

26/550

22/675

7.2/415

12/240

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/NA

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/Yes/Yes

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.1/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDP+

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HPSA

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

6,999

6,490

8,600

8,499

8,999

13,500

14,999

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

ALCATEL

BLACKBERRY

APPLE

OT 6033X

Iphone 5C

Iphone 5S

Iphone 6

Iphone 6 Plus

9720

Dimension (mm)

134.4 x 68.5 x 6.4

124.4 x 59.2 8.97

123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6

138.1 x 67 x 6.9

158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1

114 x 66 x 12

120 x 66 x 10.8

Weight (grams)

110

132

112

129

172

120

16/700

10/250

14/250

24/384

7/432

12/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/NA

16million/4.0

16million/4.7

16million/5.5

262,144/2.8

16million/3.1

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/No

16,32/No

16,32,64/No

16,64,128/No

512MB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.1

iOS8

BlackBerry OS 7.1

BlackBerry OS 10

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

17,900

41,900/53,500

10,500

12,000

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 84 I MARCH 2015

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

53,500/62,500/73,500 53,500/62,500/71,500 62,500/71,500/80,500

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

GIONEE

BLACKBERRY

PARAMETERS Model

Curve 9360

Q10

Z10

Z30

Passport

CTRL V5

Dimension (mm)

140 x 72.8 x 9.3

112 x 62 x 14.2

119.6 x 66.8 x 10.4

130 x 65.6 x 9

140.7 x 72 x 9.4

128 x 90.3 x 9.3

134.5 x 67.7 x 8.1

Weight (grams)

164

130

139

136

170

196

103.5

Talktime/Standby (hours)

15.5/384

5/336

10/NA

10/312

25/384

18/432

14.5/324

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

262,144/2.44

16million/3.1

16million/4.2

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

256MB/32GB

16GB/64GB

32GB/128GB

8GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad band/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

BlackBerry OS 10.2

BlackBerry OS 7.0

BlackBerry OS 10

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

BlackBerry OS 10

BlackBerry OS 10.2

BlackBerry OS 10.3

Yes/Yes/HSDPA Android OS, v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,000

16,990

24,500

17,800

27,500

46,700

10,999

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

GIONEE

PARAMETERS Model

Marathon M3

Elife E5

Elife E7 Mini

Elife S5.5

Elife E6

Elife S5.1

Elife E7

Dimension (mm)

144.5 X 71.5 X 10.4

137 X 69 X 6.85

139.8 x 66.2 x 8.6

145.1 x 70.2 x 5.6

142.5 x 69.4 x 7.9

139.8 x 67.4 x 5.1

150.6 x 75 x 9.5

Weight (grams)

1180.3

133.9

142.9

120

97.7

150

Talktime/Standby (hours)

51/792

18/200

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16millon/5.0

16millon/4.8

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16.7million/5.0

16million/4.8

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/NA

16BG/No

16GB/No

32GB/No

16GB/No

16GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

13,999

14,800

17,000

20,500

19,000

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

84 18,999

20,000

MARCH 2015 I 85

MYGUIDE Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS Desire 516

Desire 616

Desire 816G

Desire 601

Desire 820q

Desire 816

Desire 820

Dimension (mm)

140 x 72 x 9.7

142 x 71.9 x 9.2

156.6 x78.74 x 7.99

134.5 x 66.7 x 9.88

157.7 x 78.7 x 7.7

156.6 x 78.7 x 8

157.7 x 78.7 x 7.7

Weight (grams)

160

150

158

130

155

165

155

Model

9/220

14/700

10/460

12.8/440

22/424

21/737

22/424

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/4.5

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

4GB/32GB

4GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

16GB/128GB

8GB/128GB

16GB/128GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,400

12,300

16,800

16,900

20,500

22,200

23,200

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

HTC

PARAMETERS

LENOVO

IDEA

One (E8)

Desire Eye

One (M8 Eye)

One M8

Whiz

Ultra

A850

Dimension (mm)

146.4 x 70.7 x 9.9

151.7 x 73.8 x 8.5

146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4

79.3 x 9.45 x 153.5

Weight (grams)

145

154

160

184

26.7/504

20/538

14/271

8.5/NA

16/700

28.6/490

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16milliom/5.0

16milliom/5.2

16million/5.0

262,144/4.0

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/128GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.4

Android v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

31,000

35,000

36,000

39,000

7,800

12,000

10,500

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 86 I MARCH 2015

Tri Band/Dual SIM

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

LENOVO

PARAMETERS

S660

Vibe X S960

Vibe z

Vibe z2 Pro

L70 D310

L90 D410

G Pro Lite Dual D686

Dimension (mm)

137 x 68.8 x 10

144 x 74 x 6.9 mm

149 x 77 x 7.9

156 x 81.3 x 7.7

127.2 x 66.8 x 9.5

131.6 x 66 x 9.7

150.2 x 76.9 x 9.48

Weight (grams)

151

121

147

179

126.6

161

Model

36/840

16/288

33/648

45/948

4.6/490

14.5/845

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.7

16million/5.0

16million/5.5

16million/6.0

16million/4.5

16million/4.7

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

32GB/No

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

12,700

20,999

23, 000

32,999

11,800

14,000

14,640

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model

G3 Beat

G3 Stylus

Nexus 5 16GB/32GB

G2 16GB/32GB

G Pro 2

G3 16GB

G3 32GB

Dimension (mm)

137.7 x 69.6 x 10.3

149.3 x 75.9 x 10.2

137.9 x 69.2 x 8.6

138.5 x 70.9 x 8.9

157.9 x 81.9 x 8.3

146.3 x 74.6 x 8.9

Weight (grams)

134

163

130

143

172

149

Talktime/Standby (hours)

-/-

25/780

17/300

NA/NA

8/270

19/565

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16illion/5.5

16million/4.95

16million/5.2

16million/5.9

16million/5.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/No

16GB/64GB

16GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

13MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Sahred

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Qual Band/No

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

17,000

18,900

24,000/34,000

25,000/27,000

35,500

36,999

39,990

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

MARCH 2015 I 87

MYGUIDE Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

MICROMAX

SAMSUNG

G Flex

Canvas Nitro

Canvas XL A119

Canvas 4Plus

Canvas Knight

Galaxy Grand Neo

Galaxy Grand Prime

160.5 x 81.6 x 7.9

141 x 72 x 9

165 x 84.2 x 10.4

142 x 71 x 7

144 x 70 x 7.3

143.7 x 77.1 x 9.6

144.8 x 72.1 x 8.6

177

152

180

116

163

156

15/720

10/320

9.4/209

7/205

7.5/175

11/430

17/-

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/6.0

16million/5.0

16million/6.0

16million/5.0

16million/5.01

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

32GB/No

8GB/32GB

4GB/32GB

16GB/32GB

32GB/No

8GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Shared

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Camera/Flash/Video Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

37,500

12,000

14,600

15,800

17,300

12,500

14,500

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams) Talktime/Standby (hours)

Galaxy S4 mini

Galaxy Grand 2

124.60 x 61.30 x 8.94 146.80 x 75.30 x 8.95 108

163

Galaxy A3

Galaxy SIII Neo

Galaxy Note 3 Neo

Galaxy S4

Galaxy S5 mini

130.1 x 65.5 x 6.9

136.6 x 70.75 x 8.6

148.4 x 77.4 x 8.6

136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9

131.1 x 64.8 x 9.1

110.3

132

162.5

130

120

12/NA

17/370

14/NA

18/540

17/370

10/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/5.25

16million/4.5

16million/4.8

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

NA/64GB

16GB/64GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 88 I MARCH 2015

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

15,000

16,000

20,500

12,999

22,300

23,000

25,000

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

SONY

Galaxy A5

Galaxy S5

Galaxy Alpha

Galaxy Note 3

Galaxy Note 4

Dimension (mm)

139.3 x 69.7 x 6.7

142 x 72.5 x 8.1

132.4 x 65.5 x 6.7

151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3

153.5 X 78.6 X 8.5

Weight (grams)

123

145

115

168

176

174

153

21/390

NA/NA

20/490

20/-

18/-

14.1/588

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.0

16million/5.1

16million/4.7

16million/5.7

16million/5.6

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

16GB/128GB

32GB/No

32GB/64GB

32GB/128GB

4GB/32GB

Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

12MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

16MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi Camera/Flash/Video

Xperia C

Galaxy Note Edge

141.5 x 74.15 x 8.88

151.3 x 82.4 x 8.3

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

Quad Band/No

Tri Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.4

Android OS, v4.4

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

64,100

12,800

Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

25,500

34,300

34,800

36,000

53,300

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model

Xperia M2

Xperia M2 Dual

Xpiria C3

Xperia T3

Xperia Z 1 Compact

Xperia Z 1

Xperia Z 2

Dimension (mm)

139.7 x 71.1 x 8.6

156.2 x 78.7 x 7.6

150.7 x 77 x 7

127 x 64.9 x 9.5

144.4 x 73.9 x 8.5

146.8 x 73.3 x 8.2

Weight (grams)

148

149.7

148

137

169

163

Talktime/Standby (hours)

13.5/588

11.2/580

11/1040

12.7/639

10/670

14/880

15/690

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.8

16milion/5.5

16million/5.3

16million/4.3

16million/5.0

16million/5.2

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

16BG/128GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Quad Band/No

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Quad Band/GSM+GSM

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Android OS, v4.3

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

14,400

15,300

20,100

20,500

29,500

30,500

35,500

MARCH 2015 I 89

MYGUIDE Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

MODELS

Rs 12,000 UPWARDS

SONY

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

VIVO

Xperia Z3 Copact

Xperia Z3

127.3x64.9x8.6

146 x 72 x 7.3

X3S

Xshot

143.27 x 71.03 x 5.95 146.45 x 73.3 x 7.99

XOLO X5Max

Hive 8X

X1000

s153.9 x 78 x 4.75

140 x 70 x 7.9

129

152

153

148

146

12/880

14/890

-/450

-/820

-/390

11/352

9.5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/4.3

16million/5.2

16million/5.0

16million/5.2

16million/5.5

16million/5.0

16million/4.7

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/128GB

16 GB/No

16GB/128GB

16GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

20.7MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MPYes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA+

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Operating System

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.3

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.0

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

39,999

44,999

24,980

29,980

32,980

12,999

13,800

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model

Samsung B229

MTS Striker C121

MTS Striker C131

MTS Striker C132

Micromax GC222

MTS Mtag 281

MTS Duet

Dimension (mm)

108 x 44.38 x 14.20

106.8×44.7×13.15

108.5 × 46.7 × 12.15

115.5 × 47 × 13.5

110 x 45 x 10

104 x 57 x 13.3

Weight (grams)

65.5

68.2

Talktime/Standby (hours)

6.5/720

33/360

16/240

17.9/360

4.5/170

10/220

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

65,536/1.5

65,536/1.44

65,536/1.77

262,144/1.8

262,144/2.8

242,144/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

450KB/No

1.29MB/No

59KB/4GB

170MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

No/No

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

No/No/No

VGS/No/Yes

3.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

500

300

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

CDMA/No

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

GPRS/EDGE/3G

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/EVDO Rev.0

Yes/Yes/No

Operating System

BREW

Brew 3.1.5

Brew 3.1

Android OS v2.3

Music Player/FM Radio

No/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

1,100

1,500

1,550

1,650

2,289

3,199

5,199

Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 90 I MARCH 2015

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE CDMA PHONE

CDMA PHONE

MODELS

CDMA PHONE

CDMA

PARAMETERS Model Dimension (mm) Weight (grams)

MTS Duet II

Blackberry 8530

Moto G

116.36 x 61.7 x 12.7

109 x 60 x 13.9

129.9 x 65.9 x 11.6

HTC Desire 516 C

140 x 72 x 9.7

BlackBerry Curve CDMA 9350

HTC Desire XC

HTC Desire 700 C

109 x 60 x 11

119.5x 62.3 x 9.4

145.5 x 72 x 10.3

105

143

160

107

150

10/NA

4.5/252

24/NA

9/220

NA/NA

8/338

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

262,14/4.0

65,536/NA

16million/4.5

16million/5.0

NA/2.44

16million/4.0

16million/5.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

120MB/32GB

256MB/32GB

8GB/No

4GB/32GB

512MB/32GB

4GB/32GB

8GB/64GB

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.2MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/NA/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Sahred

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

CDMA/No

CDMA/N0

Quad Band/GSM+CDMA

CDMA/No

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/1xEV-DO

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Android OS v2.3

BlackBerry OS

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

BlackBerry OS7

Android OS v4.1

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Dual Band/GSM+CDMA

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

5,648

12,500

13,490

12,000

17,250

18,190

18,300

CDMA PHONE

TABLET

MODELS

TABLET

CDMA

PARAMETERS

APPLE

Desire 816

HTC Desire 600 C

HTC One Dual SIM

HTC One (E8)

iPad Mini Wi-Fi

iPad Mini Wi-Fi with retina display

Dimension (mm)

156.6 x 78.7 x 7.9

134.8 x 67 x 9.26

137.4 x 68.2 x 10.4

146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

200 x 134.7 x 7.5

200 x 134.7 x 7.2

Weight (grams)

165

130

143

160

308

331

312

Model

iPad Mini W-Fii+3G

21/737

11.4/539

27/500

14/271

NA/NA

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/5.5

16million/4.5

16.7million/4.7

16million/5.0

16 million/7.9

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/128GB

8GB/64GB

32GB/No

16GB/128GB

16,32,64GB/No

16,32,64/128GB/No

16,32,64GB/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

4.0MP/Yes/Yes

13.0MP/Yes/Yes

5.0 MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM

NA/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.4

iOS 7

Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Dual Band/GSM+CDMA Quad Band/CDMA+GSM Quad Band/CDMA

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

Yes/Yes/HSPA Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Android OS v4.1

Yes/Yes

No/No

Bar/Yes/No

24,000

36,000

39,500

21,900/27,900/33,900

28,900/35,900/42,900/49,900

29,900/35,900/41,900

MARCH 2015 I 91

MYGUIDE TABLET

TABLET

MODELS

TABLET

APPLE

PARAMETERS

KARBONN

LAVA

MICROMAX

iPad Mini Wi-Fi+3G with retina display

iPad Air Wi-Fi

iPad Air W-Fii+3G

A34 TA-FONE HD

A37 TA-FONE HD

Ivory Tab 702

Canvas P666

Dimension (mm)

200 x 134.7 x 7.5

241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4

197 x 124 x 12.3

194 X 120.5 X 10.8

Weight (grams)

331

652

662

335

360

311

Model

Talktime/Standby (hours) Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

NA/NA

8/240

NA/NA

16 million/7.9

16 million/9.7

16million/7.0

262,144/7.0

16milliom/7.0

16milliom/8.0

16,32,64GB/No

4GB/32GB

8GB/32GB

Inbuilt/Expandable memory 16,32,64/128GB/No Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0 MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

2.0MP/Yes/Yes

2.0MP/No/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Frequency/Dual SIM GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY

NA/No

Quad Band/No

No/No/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/Yes

Yes/Yes/HSPA

iOS 7

Android OS v4.0

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v4.4

Quad Band/No

No/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

39,900/45,900/51,900

7,200

8,900

8,700

10,999

Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Tri Band/GSM+GSM Tri Band/GSM+GSM Dual Band/GSM+GSM

37,900/44,900/51,900/58,900 31,900/37,900/43,900

TABLET

MODELS

TABLET

LENOVO

PARAMETERS Model

SAMSUNG

Yoga 8

Yoga Tab 2 8.0

Galaxy Tab 3 Neo

Galaxy Tab 4 231

Galaxy Tab 4 331

Galaxy Tab 4 531

Galaxy Tab S 705

Dimension (mm)

213.3 x 114.78 x 7.62

210 x 149 x 7

193.4 x 116.4 x 9.7

186.9 x 107.9 x 9

210 x 124 x 7.9

243.4 x 176.4 x 7.9

212.8 x 125.6 x 6.6

Weight (grams)

401

419

322

276

320

487

345.7

18/NA

18/324

20/NA

10/-

-/-

-/432

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/8.0

16million/7.0

16milliom/8.0

16million/10.1

16million/8.4

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

NA/32GB

8GB/32GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/128GB

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

VGA/No/Yes

3.15/MP/No/Yes

3.15MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs. 92 I MARCH 2015

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+/LTE

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.2

Android OS v4.4

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Bar/Yes/No

10,599

17,900

23,500

30,498

37,800

Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA Yes/Yes/HSDPA,HSUPA

88 19,500

20,990

MYMOBILE

MYGUIDE LIFESTYLE

LIFESTYLE

MODELS

TABLET

SAMSUNG

PARAMETERS Model

SONY

TAG HEUER Meridiist GMT Stainless Racer Sport Classic Steel/Black PVD

Galaxy Tab S 805

Galaxy Note Pro

Xperia Tablet Z

Racing Carbon

Link

Dimension (mm)

247.3 x 177.3 x 6.6

204 x 295.6 x 7.95

266 x 172 x 6.9

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

118 x 67 x 16.6

Weight (grams)

753

495

160

155

160

200

Talktime/Standby (hours)

-/432

54/NA

10/890

3/220

7/392

3/220

6.5/336

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/10.0

16million/12.2

16million/10.1

16 million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/3.5

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

16GB/64GB

32GB/64GB

16GB/64GB

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

256MB/8GB

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Camera/Flash/Video

3.15MP/No/Yes

8.0MP/Yes/Yes

8.1/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/No/Yes

Phonebook Capacity

Shared

1,000

Shared

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

NA/No

Quad Band/No

Yes/Yes/HSPA

Yes/Yes/HSPA+

No/No/HSPA+

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Android OS v4.4

Android OS v4.1

Android OS v2.3

Android v2.3

Android OS v2.2

GPRS/EDGE/3G Operating System Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/Yes/No

44,500

54,999

39,000

Starting 2,06,000+

Starting 2,85,000+

3,15,000

Starting 3,40,000+

LIFESTYLE

MODELS

LIFESTYLE

TAG HEUER

PARAMETERS Model

VERTU

Racer Prestige Gold Meridiist Steel & Gold

Ascent

Constellation Ayxta

Ascent Ti

Constellation Quest

Signature

Dimension (mm)

118 x 64.35 x 15.9

112 x 46 x 15.5

117 x 46 x 19

100 x 48 x 18

115.5 x 49 x 13.1

116 x 60.8 x 12.7

130 x 42 x 13

Weight (grams)

160

155

148

174

160

165 to 185

166

3/220

7/392

4.8/300

6/300

5/300

7.5/349

3.5/300

Screen (colours)/Size (inch)

16million/3.5

262,144/1.9

16million/2.0

16million/2.4

16million/2.0

16million/2.46

16million/2.0

Inbuilt/Expandable memory

8GB/32GB

NA/NA

8GB/32GB

100MB/8GB

4GB/No

8GB/32GB

4GB/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Camera/Flash/Video

5.0MP/No/Yes

No/No/No

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

3.15MP/Yes/Yes

5.0MP/Yes/Yes

No/No/No

Phonebook Capacity

1,000

2,000

1,500

Shared

2,000

Frequency/Dual SIM

Quad Band/No

GPRS/EDGE/3G

Yes/Yes/HSUPA

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/No/No

Yes/Yes/No

Yes/Yes/R99

Yes/Yes/HSDPA

Yes/Yes/R99

Operating System

Android OS v2.3

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Yes/Yes

Yes/No

Bar/Yes/No

Bar/No/No

Clamshell/No/No

Bar/No/No

Bar/No/Yes

Bar/No/No

4,55,000

Starting 5,45,000+

Starting 2,89,000+

Starting 3,47,000+

Starting 3,75,000+

Starting 3,90,000+

Starting 7,28,000+

Talktime/Standby (hours)

Bluetooth/Wi-Fi

Music Player/FM Radio Form Factor/T.Screen/QWERTY Burn test Rating

Price in Rs.

www.mymobile.co.in

MARCH 2015 I 93

Gadget Corner

ETCETERA

Amkette Super Slim Emergency Power Bank Power in your pocket…literally

ith great power comes…well, rather ordinary battery life when it comes to most smartphones. Which is why

the power bank segment is seeing rip roaring business. However, carrying a power bank around can be a tedious task. Which is why Amkette has perhaps done a bit of a design innovation and come out with the Super Slim Emergency Power Bank. It is about the size of a credit card and is a mere 6.7 mm thin, which allows it to slip into your wallet without any problems. It comes with a micro USB connecter attached to it which fits snugly into the card shape, and well, if you want to charge an iPhone, there is USB-to-lightning adaptor in the box itself. The power bank comes with 2,500 mAh Lithium Polymer which is enough to recharge most mid-segment phones (and most iPhones) completely from zero. Charging speeds are not the greatest, and we would have liked more indicator lights about power status, but even with those minor quibbles, this is a great device for those wishing to carry power banks with minimum fuss.

Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear Wired for sound

Price: Rs. 1,395

ennheiser’s Momentum range has forged a formidable reputation for itself among wired

headsets, and the latest in-ear model therefore comes with formidable expectations. We got the model that has been designed for the iPhone. They are designed smartly in best Sennheiser tradition and are compact enough, with small metal discs on the back of the bugs, albeit at slightly odd angles. There is a small panel of controls that lets you tweak volume, skip tracks and can also be used to make and receive calls. But of course, what really matters in the case of the Momentum is the sound quality and here we must confess that we were not disappointed. Sound was crystal clear and in many cases, came close to matching the experience we have had on over-the-ear headphones. The bass could have been better, but that would be nitpicking. Our only major complaint about the headphones was the fact that they kept popping out of our ears. That apart, these are superb for those looking for high quality sound!

Price: Rs. 6,990 94 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

Sony SmartBand Talk A fitness band with brains

ony had made waves when it had

very smoothly with the accompanying

notifications for your social networks and

unveiled its first Smartband in

band and cuts a stylish figure. It is a

mails and also serve up information on

India at a relative affordable price of

non-touchscreen display so you need to

how active you have been right through

Rs. 4,999 in 2014. However, one

navigate using buttons on the side, as

the day. Some might scoff at the 296 x

complaint that many people had with

in the case of the Pebble smartwatch.

128 e-ink display but we found it great

the device was the fact that it did not

And as in the previous Sony SmartBand,

for viewing text, and it also results in

have a display of any sort, making

you will need to download a supporting

a three day battery life, which is very

users depend entirely on a connected

SmartBand Talk app as well as Sony’s

respectable in the wearable segment. Of

handset to get information about their

Lifelog application to get the most out

course, you can also view your activities

fitness data. Well, Sony has rectified

of the device (it works with all Android

in all their graphic glory on your phone

that with the SmartBand Talk, which not

4.4 devices). The pairing process with

or tablet using Sony’s LifeLog app.

only comes with a display, but has also

a phone can be a bit of a pain if you

Honestly, we like it a lot more than some

support for voice commands baked right

are using a non-Sony device (we had

of the smartwatches we have used – it

into it. Interestingly, Sony has opted to go

to try multiple times), but once you

is simple to use and has great battery

for an e-ink display on the device rather

do get it sorted, you end up with a very

life, although at Rs. 12,990, some

than the colour LCD ones that it uses on

powerful device on your wrist. You can

might consider it expensive, given that

its smartwatch range. That said, the 1.4

received calls by just hitting a button on

some Android Wear smartwatches are

inch curved e-ink display does blend in

the watch, and a tap on it will show you

available for lesser.

Gadget Corner

ETCETERA

Price: Rs. 12,990

www.mymobile.co.in

march 2015 | 95

Gadget Corner

ETCETERA Price: Rs. 999

Shaze Hi:P7 Multimedia Set A bag full of add ons

ant a stack of accessories in one cozy bag for your phone? Well, the folks at Shaze think that you do, because they have come out with what they term is a Multimedia Set for your phone. And no, before you start thinking of speakers and headphones,

we would like to stress that this collection is more basic, but nevertheless, very handy. For packed inside one handy bag (oh yes, it all comes in a bag), comes a stylus with a proper pen on one side, a four-in-one connection cable that works with normal devices with micro USB ports as well as both of Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary charging ports, an audio splitter than can let you plug two headphones into the same device, a smartphone stand, and a display wiper. Of these, the audio splitter, the stand and the wiper come as one single unit. On the surface, each component might not sound like much, but taken together in one neat package, we think this is a very handy kit for the multi-gadget toting geek crowd, not least because all the products are solidly designed!

Toreto Twins TBS-305 Sonic twins!

luetooth speaker systems like the Toreto Twins TBS305, are the reason why many people are switching

from regular music systems to wireless speakers. The speaker system may look small in size but has a fabulous sound quality, with no distortion even at very high volumes. The build quality of the speaker is very good and there is a rubber stand beneath it, which keeps the device steady at a single place. For connectivity, the speaker supports Bluetooth and also comes with a 3.5 mm audio jack. Above the speaker is the calling button which enables users to take their calls while the handset is connected with the speaker. The most important thing about this speaker system is that both speakers are not connected with any wire, but still work in tandem over Bluetooth. Moreover, if you desire to switch off any of the two speakers, you can do so easily. For charging, there is a micro USB connector and when the device is completely charged, it is capable of playing music for continuous 7-8 hours. Yes, we wish it came with support for USB drives and memory cards, and at Rs 6,999, it is on the expensive

Price: Rs. 6,999 96 | march 2015

side. But then, good sound seldom comes cheap.

MYMOBILE

Gadget Corner

ETCETERA Sony Alpha 6000 Phenomenally fast

ention the word DSLR and the mental

capaibility), but really comes to the fore in

the image they are shooting, even though

image that most people conjure up is

action shots. The camera has a burst mode

the camera does have a 3-inch TFT display

that of a bulky device, with many lenses

of 11 FPS and it delivered surprisingly

on the back. You have all the tweaks and

saddled to it. Which is why perhaps

sharp shots even when we are shooting

shooting modes that come in a DSLR and

Sony has been pushing its mirrorless,

something that was moving. Credit for this

in best mirrorless camera tradition, in an

interchangeable lens camera range, which

goes to Sony’s 4D focus system which lets

incredibly compact package – the Alpha

deliver DSLR-like quality in a much more

the camera track the subject even when

6000 can slip into a bag very easily. Round

compact frame, while continuing to provide

other elements come into the picture. It’s

that off with Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity

the flexibility of letting user switch lenses

not just marketing hype, it actually works.

that lets you transfer images and videos

for different situations. And well, the Alpha

Then there is the matter of auto focus – Sony

(it shoots great videos too, incidentally) in

6000 represents one of the best efforts

claims that the Alpha 6000 comes with the

seconds to a smartphone or a computer, and

we have seen in that regard. In terms of

fastest autofocus in its category and well, it

the Alpha 6000 does more than enough

hardware, it packs in a 24.3-megapixel

certainly is blazingly fast (0.06 seconds).

to give conventional DSLRs a run for their

Exmor APS HD CMOS + BIONZ X sensor,

You can literally switch on the camera, hold

money. At Rs. 40,900, we think this camera

but we would instead prefer to focus (pun

it up, take a snap and come away with a

comes very close to fulfilling the mirrorless

intended) on what it actually delivers. For,

surprisingly clear picture. And in a welcome

camera dream: DSLR flexibility and quality

it not only takes very good images (well,

move, Sony has built in a viewfinder for

in the size of a much smaller camera.

we would expect that in a device of its

those who love to keep their eyes close to

team@mymobile.co.in

Price: Rs. 40,900

98 | march 2015

MYMOBILE

RNI REG NO./DELENG/2005/15033 DL (ND) - 11/6100/2015-16-17 (Posting Date 19-20 of every month) Publishing Date- 15-02-15